The Lonely Hearts Club
by Ginger James
Summary: Four very different young women navigate through life, love, work, and drama while on the road with the WWE. Multiple oc/wwe pairings. Extended summary inside!
1. Introductions

**Extended Summary: Four very different young women navigate through life, love, work, and drama while on the road with the WWE. One is returning from a year-long hiatus and she has a secret she's been hiding from her friends. Another has been on a career high for some time but the return of an icon could threaten to derail her if she doesn't make the right impression. The third has been unlucky in love for some time but may find it when she finally stops looking. And the fourth just wants to have fun after her last relationship went down in flames but she finds that fun may not be all she wants. Read, Enjoy, and Review!  
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**Disclaimer: I own Adrienne, Emerson, Cassandra, and Lilah. That is all. well not all in life but all in this story. Pairings will be revealed as the story goes on.**

_**The Lonely Hearts Club**_

Introduction:

_Chicago, IL_

_June 2011  
><em>

"Welcome back!"

Adrienne Nixon jumped, covering her eyes quickly to shield herself from the blinding sunlight behind her friends.

Lilah Copeland and Cassandra Palmer stood on her stoop, smiling from ear to ear. Lilah was holding a bouquet of tulips, already in a gorgeous purple vase. Cassandra was holding a balloon shaped like a penis.

"_Really_, Cass?" Adrienne laughed.

"It was leftover from Gail's bachelorette party," Cassandra shrugged. "Besides, I knew if anyone would appreciate it, it would be you."

Adrienne shook her head, taking the balloon from her friend and turning to walk back into the house, "You guys do realize it's 8:30 in the morning, right?"

"We do," Lilah said as she and Cassandra followed. "I figured you and Emme might be up."

"You thought _Emme_ would be up?" Cassandra stared. Adrienne gave Lilah the same incredulous look.

Emerson Lane, Adrienne's roommate and the fourth member of their little group, was not what anyone would call a morning person. Once she was awake, she could be the bubbliest of all of them but it took a solid hour and an almost alarming amount of coffee to wake her up once she got out of bed.

"Okay I thought _you_ would be up," Lilah corrected, walking into the kitchen and sitting on a bar stool.

"I was, barely," Adrienne answered. She hadn't been able to get to sleep until sometime around 5 o'clock that morning. This was to be her first day back on the road after being sidelined for almost a year with a broken leg. Trying to sleep the night before had taken her back to the days when she couldn't sleep the night before the first day of school. She'd had this half scared/half excited feeling that was manifesting itself in the pit of her stomach and all she could do was sit up and watch The Golden Girls, occasionally staring at the clock for a few minutes, trying to speed it up with her mind.

She wasn't surprised that Lilah and Cassandra had come to her and Emme's house straight from the airport. The four of them were best friends and had been for years. They'd met when Andy, Emme, and Cass were all starting out in the company and Lilah was just being promoted. Originally, they seemed to have banded together out of necessity but soon they were practically inseparable.

Lilah was Adam Copeland's cousin and a member of the writing staff. She was 28, born and raised in Georgia and though she often denied it, she could be very much the southern belle. She was very elegant and classy but she definitely had her feisty side if the right buttons were pushed.

Cassandra was a backstage interviewer and was probably the outspoken of the group. The 26 year old former model was sometimes as brash as she was beautiful and fiercely loyal to her friends.

Emerson, 25, was a wardrobe stylist and she had a hand in designing some of the company's merchandise. She was described by many as the most kind hearted person in the world. She was very quick witted and usually the life of the party.

Adrienne, or Andy as she was often called, was somewhat of a wild card. She was the youngest of the group at 24. She'd signed her contract three years earlier, spent a year in development, a very impressive year on TV, and then almost a year rehabbing her leg. Outgoing and funny, she was the youngest, and often wildest of the group. But she had a serious side as well, especially when it came to her work.

Adrienne and Emme were like two peas in a pod and moved in together about four months after they met. Lilah and Cass were attached at the hip more often than not. And all four considered themselves a family. One drunken night, at Adrienne's urging, they'd all gotten tattoos to solidify their bond. They each had three hearts on the inside of their left index finger to represent the other girls. Adrienne's were hot pink and barely noticeable amongst a host of tattoos. Lilah had small, very thin red outlines, her only tattoo. The rest of the girls had to ply her with alcohol to even get her to consider the idea. Cassandra's were the same as Adrienne's but in purple and Emerson's were red with black outlines.

Adrienne tied her balloon to the back of her chair and walked over to the refrigerator, pulling out a pitcher of orange juice. The sound of feet padding down the hall echoed in the room and Cassandra motioned for everyone to be quiet. Adrienne rolled her eyes, turning on the combination coffee/espresso machine, as her friend crept over to the doorway. When Emerson rounded the corner Cassandra wrapped her in a tight hug, "Boo!"

"Jesus Christ Cass!" Emerson yelled, her eyes going wide.

"Morning Em," Cassandra giggled as the other woman playfully pushed her away.

"What are you two doing here so early?" Emerson asked as Adrienne handed her a glass of orange juice.

"Starting Andy's welcome back party early," Lilah explained. "We're going to breakfast and shopping before we head to the Allstate."

"Why don't we just make breakfast here?" Emerson asked.

"Because I'm hungry now and I don't cook," Cass smiled, plucking a grape out of the bowl Adrienne was pulling out of the refrigerator.

"We want to take Andy to her favorite place for breakfast her first day back," Lilah gave a better explanation, walking over and putting her arm around Adrienne.

"You guys act like you haven't seen me," Adrienne laughed.

Emerson usually came home once a week or so and Lilah and Cass usually spent at least a few off days a month in Chicago.

"This is different, you're back, we're gonna get to see you every day again," Lilah smiled. "Just let us have our fun."

"Fine, fine," Adrienne laughed, sitting on her chair, grabbing the bottom of her lewd balloon and pointing it at them. "But one of you is paying for breakfast."

* * *

><p><strong><em>So this was just a quick intro to get to know the characters. Chapter 1 is where the fun starts...And to those of you wondering, I swear, I'm not gonna go forever without updating Truth in Deceit again. I plan to update both stories as much as I can. TID is not on hold. It just has company.<em>**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1…**

"There you go Mr. Callaway," the young hotel clerk smiled, handing Mark his card back and then giving him a pen to sign the credit slip in front of him. Once he did, she handed him a small envelope with two key cards and some pamphlet on Chicago that he had no intentions of reading. He'd been to Chicago plenty of times. He didn't need a pamphlet to tell him where to go.

"Enjoy your stay," she smiled and Mark waved over his shoulder on his way to the elevator. He was hoping to get a little sleep in before he headed to the Allstate Arena.

"Mark."

He stopped walking, turning when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Fancy meeting you here," Stephanie McMahon walked toward him, smiling. "You look great."

"So do you," he gave her a quick hug, patting the top of her head.

He hadn't seen Stephanie or nearly anyone he worked with for that matter, in almost a year. He'd injured his shoulder at Wrestlemania 26, requiring surgery and a month of rest. Then after 6 months of rehabbing, his second week working out in the ring to get rid of some of the rust, he injured his knee, requiring another 6 months of rehab.

"How are you?" Stephanie asked. Her smile was warm and caring but Mark knew that beneath that, she was asking as much as a businesswoman as she was a friend.

"I'm good Steph," he assured her. "The shoulder's great."

"And the knee?" she asked.

"It's fine," he patted his leg for emphasis. "My doctors cleared me last week."

"And our doctor will look at you tomorrow," Stephanie said. "I'm not asking the doctors right now, I'm asking you…Are you sure about coming back full time? We could keep your schedule the way it was."

Mark's schedule had dwindled down to only a few months out of the year before he was hurt at Wrestlemania and, at first, it had been relaxing. He felt like a new man only having to put his body through hell for 4 months instead of 12. But then he got bored. And he got nostalgic. He found himself missing all of the things he hated about being on the road. Now that he was finally healthy, he'd informed Vince that he wanted a full work load again. House shows, pay per views, travel year round, the works.

"I don't want it the way it was," Mark insisted. "Trust me Steph, I want what I asked for."

She seemed to consider what he said for a moment before taking a deep breath and nodding, "Good."

"So what have you got planned for me?" he asked. He wasn't set to return to TV quite yet and the few times he'd talked to Stephanie and Vince in the last few weeks, they hadn't mentioned what his return angle would be.

"Well, there's not a plan yet," Stephanie admitted.

Mark frowned.

"Don't give me that look," she pointed. "There's been some ideas tossed around but we've been waiting for you to get here before we start fleshing anything out. You're not always the easiest person to work with from a distance."

Mark couldn't deny that she was right. He hated cell phones and rarely used or answered his but he hadn't bothered to have a house phone in years.

"Well, you wanna go have lunch and talk about it now?" Mark asked.

"Actually, there's a writer that I want you to meet with," Stephanie explained. "Maybe tomorrow after you work out with the doctor."

"Why aren't you handling this?" Mark questioned. He and Stephanie had been writing his angles together for the last few years.

"Mark, trust me," Stephanie smiled. "This writer is the perfect person for the job."

* * *

><p>"In your face!" Kofi jumped up, dropping the Xbox controller onto the couch and raising his arms in the air. "That's 3 in a row Phil. This is getting embarrassing."<p>

They were having a tournament in the new Mortal Kombat game and so far, Phil wasn't giving him much competition.

"You beat me with Sonya," Phil Brooks shook his head in disbelief.

"Correction," Kofi pointed at his best friend. "I _killed _you with Sonya. _Annihilated _you. _Three _times. Face it Philly boy, I'm better than you."

"Cute," Phil turned off the Xbox. "I think you've had enough for today my friend."

Kofi walked into Phil's kitchen, grabbing two bottles of water and bringing one back out for Phil. He frowned when he spied his friend staring off into space. He didn't seem to notice Kofi had come back into the room. In the last few weeks, Phil had seemed like he was somewhere else.

"Alright, talk to me," Kofi plopped down in a recliner. "You've been acting weird Brooks."

The two of them had been friends for a long time and Kofi knew when something was weighing on his friend's mind.

"Nothing serious," Phil shook his head. "I've just been a little stressed out about something."

"Does it have anything to do with trying to make Rey-Rey interesting again?" Kofi smirked. "Because that can be pretty stressful."

"I don't really want to get into it," Phil sighed, running a hand over his hair. "No worries, it'll pass."

"If you say so," Kofi shrugged, unconvinced. "If you decide you want to talk about it, you know where I am."

"Yeah," Phil smirked. "You're on my recliner, drinking my water."

* * *

><p>Lilah knocked lightly on the doorframe of the temporary office Stephanie had set up for the writing crew. She was on the phone and smiled, waving her in, mouthing that she would only be a minute. In Stephanie terms, that usually meant she would be another 10-15 minutes but Lilah wasn't in any rush so she walked in and sat down. Lilah admired her boss immensely. Her cousin Adam had gotten her an interview with Stephanie when she was 23, fresh out of college. The two women hit it off right away and Lilah was hired as Stephanie's executive assistant. Lilah had a knack for knowing what Stephanie wanted before Stephanie even knew. She worked hard and made sure she was the absolute best she could be and Stephanie had always been appreciative. After about two years, Stephanie asked Lilah for some writing samples. Lilah had graduated the University of Georgia with a degree in literature and Stephanie thought that with her passion for the business and her love of creative writing, she might be just what they needed when they were looking to hire a new junior writer. Lilah got the samples together and Stephanie was impressed. She got the position as a junior writer and after a year she was promoted to a full fledged staff writer. And Stephanie had been flying through assistants ever since.<p>

After close to ten minutes, Stephanie finally ended her phone call and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry," she came over, giving Lilah a quick hug. "My mom called freaking out because one of the girls swore."

"I wonder why," Lilah feigned surprise. Stephanie had a notoriously foul mouth. "Michael told me you were holed up in here."

Stephanie rolled her eyes dramatically at the mention of her most recent assistant, "I'm hiding from him."

"Give this one a chance Steph," Lilah counseled. "He's a nice kid."

"He's a fucking idiot," Stephanie sighed.

"He's not an idiot,' Lilah corrected. "You're impatient and you dislike change."

"See?" Stephanie pointed excitedly. "You can talk to me like I'm a normal person, you always could. Michael acts like he's _terrified_ of me."

"He probably is," Lilah laughed. "You can be pretty scary. I was afraid of you at first; I just did a good job of hiding it. Cut him some slack."

"Fine," Stephanie rolled her eyes again. "I didn't ask you to come in early to discuss Michael's shortcomings. I've got a project for you."

"What kind of project?' Lilah asked.

"Mark Callaway."

If Lilah had been drinking something, she was sure she would have spit it out all over her brand new Shoshanna dress.

"Excuse me?"

"He's coming back. Full time. He's meeting with our doctors tomorrow. Once he's cleared, we want to get the ball rolling. He always has a hand in his angles."

"Which _you_ always handle," Lilah said. "What changed?"

"I've got my hands in a lot right now," Stephanie answered. "And I think you're the only person who can handle him."

"Handle him?" Lilah inquired. "What does that mean?"

"It means you're great at your job and I have the utmost faith and confidence in you," Stephanie smiled. "And I think you know the rest of our writing staff would jump at this chance."

"Oh I'm gonna do it," Lilah said quickly. She never passed up a challenge. "I just can't help feeling like a lamb being led to slaughter when you say I'm the only one who can '_handle'_ him."

Stephanie smiled and shrugged, "It won't be _that_ bad."

* * *

><p>Adrienne wandered around the Allstate Arena's backstage area, hoping she didn't look like a giddy child on Christmas morning. There were many things she was nervous about when it came to going back on the road. She worried about how her leg would hold up. She worried about seeing people she hadn't seen in a long time and getting used to life on the road again. But once she was at the arena, seeing everything coming together, she felt at home. She had missed this. She rode to Rosemont early with Lilah since she was supposed to sit down with Stephanie and discuss plans for her return. Lilah was having a meeting with Stephanie first so Adrienne had time to kill. She'd spent a few minutes hanging out with the ring and production crews. She'd always made a point to get along well with them. She walked through the gorilla position, thinking back to the first time she'd made an entrance in front of a packed crowd. Tears had come to her eyes when she walked through the black curtains. She didn't feel tears this time as she walked onto the ramp but she definitely felt her adrenaline start to pump a little more. She heard the familiar sound of someone running the ropes and walked down the half finished ramp to get a closer look. When she saw who it was she smiled, walking a little faster. She walked up the steps to the ring, clapping, "Nice form Mr. Orton."<p>

Randy slowed his running, smiling when he saw her, "Well, well, well…the only woman who could ever make me break my red head rule."

Andy laughed, climbing into the ring, "Hi Randy."

"You look amazing," he said, pulling her into a hug.

Andy hugged back, inhaling his scent. She could always count on him to smell fantastic.

She met Randy Orton her first day as a member of the active roster and they'd been flirting with each other ever since. It was all in good fun, nothing ever came of it. She couldn't deny that she was attracted to him but the timing was just never right. One or both of them was always seeing someone. Last she heard, Randy was seeing some Brazilian model type.

"You don't look so bad yourself. Although I'm not sure how I feel about all this," she gestured to his newly grown facial hair.

"I've been a little lazy about shaving lately," he shrugged. "Although, suddenly I have a newfound motivation to look my best."

"Don't go shaving it off just yet," she smirked. "I kinda like it."

"Then it stays," he smiled. "So what's the plan? Are you on the card tonight? I haven't seen it yet."

"Not tonight," she shook her head. "I'm supposed to talk with Steph in a little bit. She'll fill me in on everything then."

"How's the leg?"

"Good as new," she smiled. "Only a little pain when it rains."

"That's how you know you've made it. My shoulder feels like its on fire when it storms," he smirked.

"Fun," she smirked.

"What are you doing after the show tonight?" he asked, leaning against the top rope.

"I'm not sure yet," she shrugged. "Why do you ask?"

"I was going to suggest we grab a drink and catch up. Unless your girlfriends are planning to monopolize your time."

"That's usually their plan," Adrienne laughed. "But I'm sure I can convince them to let you join us."

"Sounds good to me," he said. "Just let me know what the plan is."

"I'll come find you later."

He smiled, winking at her, "I hope you do."

* * *

><p>"Knock, knock."<p>

Shawn looked up when he heard a familiar female voice at the door to the locker room. He smiled when he saw Lilah Copeland leaning through the cracked door with her eyes closed.

He and Lilah had become good friends after she worked on an angle with him and Hunter months earlier. She was a very smart woman and she knew her stuff. He had a lot of respect for her. She was very much a southern woman, always trying to feed and take care of everyone, slight Georgia accent. She reminded him of some of the women in his family. She was classy, a lady in every way, but if you pissed her off, God help you. It didn't hurt that she was a looker as well. She was about 5'9", slender, with platinum blonde hair that was cut into a stylish angular bob. She had crystal blue eyes and a very easy smile.

"I'm the only one in here Lilah," he laughed, walking over and opening the door. "You can open your eyes."

"Oh thank goodness," Lilah breathed a sigh of relief. "I learned my lesson about walking in here without announcing myself a long time ago."

"Do I even want to hear that story?" he asked.

"No," she shook her head. "Believe me, you don't. Have you seen my cousin yet today?"

"Not yet, but I just got here," he answered. He noted her cheeks looked flushed. "Everything okay?"

"I'm just a little stressed," she admitted. "Stephanie gave me some.._odd_ news."

"What is it?" Shawn asked.

"Well," Lilah placed her hands on her hips. "Apparently, I will be working on an angle with Mark Callaway."

Shawn winced, "Ouch. You have fun with that."

"Thank you Shawn. That's very helpful," she crossed her arms over her chest. "I feel so much better now."

"I'm sorry. You really shouldn't worry too much about it. You're great at your job, Mark will respect that," Shawn said. "He and I may not be the best of friends but if I know anything about him, I know he's a professional. You'll be just fine."

"Steph just made me nervous," Lilah shrugged. "She said she wants me to work with him because she thinks I'm the only person who can '_handle'_ him. That's what you say when you want someone to babysit an unpleasant child."

Shawn smiled at her, shaking his head, "It won't be _that_ bad."

* * *

><p><em>5 <em>_p.m._

Adrienne tapped her heels on the ground, waiting impatiently for Emme to get back to her station. She wanted to tell her friend she was going to leave early to get things set up at home. She'd had her meeting with Stephanie and now she just wanted to get home. They had decided to have some people over that night. They had moved into their new townhouse at the beginning of the summer and most of their friends hadn't gotten to see it yet.

Setting up wasn't exactly the only reason that Andy wanted to leave early though. She was nervous and she hated that feeling. She knew that eventually she was going to have to face the music. She was going to have a lot of explaining to do in the very near future. But if she could avoid it for one more day, she was going to.

"Hey doll," Emerson came back carrying a bundle of blue fabric. She took a look at her best friend's tapping foot and tightly clasped hands and put the fabric down before crossing her arms over her chest, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Andy lied, looking over Emme's shoulder.

"What are you looking for?" Emerson asked. "You have been acting very shifty today. What's going on?"

"Em, nothing, I swear," Adrienne smiled. "Listen, I got to say hi to everyone and talk to Steph so..I think I'm gonna cut out early and swing by my dad's before I go home and get the house ready."

"You're gonna leave before the show even starts?" Emerson's brow furrowed. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Andy stood up, hugging her friend quickly.

"How was your meeting?" Emerson asked.

"Good, very good," Andy answered. "I'll tell you all about it tonight. I'll see you later. Call me if you need me to do anything or pick anything else up."

"I will," Emme said, glaring at her suspiciously.

Andy started to walk away but before she was in the clear, she heard Emme call her name.

"Yes dear?" she turned around.

"You know I'm gonna find out what's going on with you eventually, right?" Emerson asked.

Andy took a deep breath and smiled at her friend, "I know."

* * *

><p>Adam popped the trunk of his rental car, slinging his gym bag over his shoulder. He was running late and Lilah had already called him 3 times. He loved his cousin dearly but she worried too much. He'd fallen asleep after checking into the hotel and forgot to set an alarm to make sure he got to the arena on time.<p>

He had sent her a text when he woke up that read, _I'm on my way, drink a mint julep and calm yourself_, to which she replied _Eat maple syrup and die_

Lilah was more like his strangely southern little sister than his cousin. Their mothers weren't the closest but when Lilah and Adam were kids, they decided they were going to trade off summers; Adam would spend a summer in Georgia and then they next year Lilah and her older sister Maggie would come to Ontario. Though Maggie was closer to Adam's age, Lilah, who was 9 years younger, was the one he developed a closer bond with. When Adam got into the business, Lilah was beyond supportive, even creating a website for him and Jason Reso in their early days to try and help them get bookings. When he started with the WWE, he always had tickets for Lilah at any show she could drive to and he would let her travel with him for a few days at a time during the summers. When she graduated college, he was more than happy to recommend her to Stephanie. He knew she would get the job. Having her around all the time was great, even when they were bickering.

He was almost at the building's door when he heard a commotion not far away. He turned and spotted Cassandra Palmer taking a picture with some fans. A few boys in a group nearby were starting to shove each other. Adam made his way toward her, not seeing any security nearby.

"Guys, guys, let's calm down, okay?" he said as he reached the group.

They all stared at him in awe for a few seconds before they all began to talk at once. The two that were fighting completely abandoned their argument and started searching for something for him to sign. Adam signed autographs for just about all of them and then put a protective arm around Cass before announcing that they had to go and telling them all to enjoy the show.

He turned, steering her toward the doors, "You okay?"

"Yeah, thanks," she smiled up at him. "I thought it was gonna get crazy for a minute there."

"It's no problem," Adam assured her. She looked at his arm that was still draped over her shoulders and he quickly pulled it away, suddenly feeling awkward.

* * *

><p>Cassandra slowed her pace, pulling her cell phone out of her purse, "I have to make a quick call. I'll see you inside?"<p>

"Yeah," Adam looked relieved. "See you later."

She watched as he walked away, dropping her phone back into her purse. Cassandra wondered if she and Adam would ever stop having these awkward moments. Probably not; considering she'd cheated on him.

When Cass was hired, it was because someone had shown Vince her picture in a swimsuit catalog. She hadn't known a thing about the business. The day she signed her contract, on her way out of headquarters, she met Lilah Copeland. They hit it off in an instant and kept in touch while Cass got her affairs in order and prepared to move to Florida to start working in FCW. Cass was single at the time after getting out of a pretty rough relationship and when Cass made the move, Lilah informed her that she knew the perfect guy for her; her cousin. Cass wasn't big on the idea of being set up with someone but Adam was gorgeous and she figured it couldn't hurt to try. She never expected things to go the way they did.

The attraction between Cass and Adam was immediate and intense. They ended up sleeping together after their first date, which was out of character for her. Cass felt as if she'd found her match with Adam. Physically, emotionally, he was just perfect for her. He made her laugh hysterically and he was amazing in bed. They continued seeing each other while she was in FCW and when it was decided that she would become the backstage interviewer for Raw, they were able to travel together. Things were moving quickly and Cass found herself thinking about how badly her last relationship ended when things moved too fast. She got extremely anxious and expressed to Emme and Andy that she thought maybe things with Adam weren't going to work. Her friends encouraged her to stick with her boyfriend, reminding her that they were great for each other.

She was still feeling anxiety over the situation so Andy invited her to come with her when she went to visit her boyfriend at the time, Joe Seanoa, TNA's Samoa Joe, for a few days. They were there for 3 days and Cassandra had a great time but her stress over Adam was in the back of her mind the whole time. The last day they were there, Joe had a small get together with a few of his coworkers. Everyone was drinking and Cassandra let things get out of control. She barely remembered the night but she did remember the next morning when Andy and Joe were cleaning up the house and found her naked in bed with Patrick Martin, otherwise known as Alex Shelley. Andy was furious with Cassandra, practically dragging her out of bed and putting her in the shower. Cassandra felt terribly guilty and remorseful for what she'd done and Andy told her that she needed to tell her boyfriend the truth.

The last thing that Cass ever wanted was to hurt Adam but she knew that she couldn't keep the secret for very long. She didn't tell him right away, trying to figure out the right time and place but in the end, it didn't matter. One night everyone was set to go out and Cassandra was with the girls in Andy's room getting ready when Adam showed up at the door. She'd never seen him look so angry outside of the ring. He explained that he'd gotten a call from a woman claiming to be Patrick's girlfriend. The woman explained to him what happened between their significant others. Cass hadn't even known that Patrick _had_ a girlfriend. Cass went out into the hallway with Adam and he berated her for her indiscretion before telling her that he was moving his things to a different room and that he could have the one they'd checked into. Cassandra apologized profusely but she knew it was no use. Adam didn't trust her anymore and he never would again. Lilah was extremely disappointed in her best friend and it took a while for them to repair their friendship but they managed. For a long time, things were pretty contentious between Cassandra and Adam but after a few months, the anger stopped. They went through a period where they pretty much ignored each other for a while and finally, in the last 6 or 7 months, they'd become friends again. It was nice being able to talk and laugh with him but sometimes things got uncomfortable. One of them would reference something that happened while they were dating or one of them would touch the other and everything would go quiet.

Cassandra was pulled away from her thoughts when she heard her phone beep in her purse. She pulled it out, seeing that she had a text message from Stu Bennett.

_Where are you gorgeous?_

Cass smiled, letting him know that she was right outside. She and Stu had been seeing each other, very casually, for a few weeks. He was exactly what she needed at this time in her life. Things were fun and simple with him. He didn't expect anything from her and she didn't expect anything from him.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2…**

_11__:30 __p.m._

Glenn walked back to the table carrying a picture of beer and a stack of glasses. He set the items down on the table, plopping down onto his chair.

Hunter frowned at the beer and Glenn laughed, "If you want a bottle of water, you're gonna have to go ask for it yourself."

"Just drink the damn beer Hunter," Mark rolled his eyes, putting the glasses in a row and starting to pour.

"Fine," Hunter laughed. "Just don't tell Steph. She's been on my ass."

"Speaking of your lovely wife, do you want to explain to me why she doesn't want to work with me anymore?" Mark asked.

"Wait, Steph got out of having to work with you?" Glenn smirked. "I haven't wanted to work with you for years and nobody gives me a pass."

"Watch yourself Jacobs," Mark pointed.

"It's not that she doesn't want to work with you," Hunter corrected. "She's just got a lot on her plate right now. Besides, Lilah's great."

"Lilah?" Mark frowned.

"She didn't tell you who you were working with?" Hunter asked.

"No," Mark shook his head. "Didn't she used to have an assistant named Lilah?"

Hunter nodded, "She's been with the writing staff for a while now."

Mark frowned and Glenn rolled his eyes. Mark was his best friend and arguably the most respected man currently in the business but sometimes he needed to pull his head out of his ass. He was so used to getting special treatment that he didn't realize how petulant he seemed at times when he didn't get it.

"She's great, works really well with everyone," Hunter shrugged. "She worked with me and Shawn a lot last year."

"Shawn like her?" Mark asked.

"Yeah, they work well together," Hunter nodded.

"Even more reason to worry," Mark rolled his eyes.

"You have nothing to worry about," Glenn assured his friend. "Just be nice."

"Yeah, Steph will have your head if you make Lilah quit," Hunter warned.

"I'll be as nice as I can," Mark took a drink of his beer and Glenn shook his head. He couldn't figure out why but he had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

><p>Randy rang the bell at Adrienne and Emerson's townhouse. He and Adam had finally arrived after driving around lost for 25 minutes.<p>

"That's the last time we get directions from your cousin," Randy pointed at his best friend. "How is it possible that she's been here at least 10 times and has no idea how to get here?"

Adam shrugged, "Lilah doesn't do street names very well. She gives directions in regards to landmarks. When things move, she's pretty much screwed."

The door opened and the very blonde in question stood at the door, smiling brightly, drink in hand, "You made it."

"No thanks to you Lilah," Randy teased, giving her a quick hug.

"I know, I'm sorry," Lilah drawled. "I don't know why you asked me for directions. Come on in."

Randy walked through the large foyer into the living room. Josh Matthews and Bryan Danielson were playing with Andy's dogs; a Bullmastiff/Boxer mix named Moolah and a Great Dane/Labrador mix named Lorelei. Jason Reso was standing near one of many windows chatting with Gail Kim and Mike Mizanin. Barbie Blank and Paul Lloyd were in the corner of the room, having what looked like a very serious discussion.

Lilah saw him looking around and patted him on the shoulder, pointing toward the large kitchen, "Andy's over there making drinks."

"Thanks," Randy smiled at her before making his way to the kitchen. At first he didn't see Andy. He spotted Emerson pouring shots for herself, Alberto Rodriguez, Matt Sydal, Shelton Benjamin, and Beth Carolan.

"Randy, you made it," Emerson smiled, waving him over. "You want a shot?"

"Not yet," Randy walked over, greeting everyone and giving Emerson a quick kiss on the cheek. He and Emerson were good friends, had been since she started. "Where's-"

Before he could finish, Emerson pointed her thumb over her shoulder to the open refrigerator.

"Mind reader," Randy smiled.

"Don't have to be," she winked at him. The refrigerator closed and Randy stopped moving when he saw Adrienne. She looked amazing. He'd always found her extremely attractive but she'd somehow gotten even better looking in her time off. Her red hair was longer and looked to be a little brighter. Her long tanned legs stretched from a pair of cutoff denim shorts and she was wearing a loose, white t-shirt that hung off of her right shoulder.

Andy had always caused some confusion for Randy. The confusion stemmed from the fact that she was a hybrid of everything that made a woman his type and everything that didn't. On the one hand, she had a fantastic body; athletic with long legs and expertly crafted curves. Her face was almost classically beautiful with her big green eyes, thin nose, and full lips. And on the other hand, her hair was naturally red but she dyed it a much bolder shade of red that she once told him was called Cherry Bomb, also the name of one of her signature moves in the ring. And she was peppered with tattoos. In addition to the hearts that she and her best friends had on their fingers, Andy had pink ribbon bows on the backs of her ankles, a pink cupcake with a strawberry on top on her left foot, A pair of brass knuckles with a tiara on top on the inside of her left bicep, the Shakespeare quote 'All the World's a Stage' on the back of her right shoulder in thin dark blue cursive, a Marilyn Monroe quote 'Well behaved women rarely make history' in thin black script down her left side and over her hip. She had the outline of the Chicago Bulls logo in red and the outline of the Chicago Bears logo in blue, very small on the insides of her wrists and there were quite a few other small ones. Though _he_ wasn't a blank slate by any means, he didn't normally go for girls who shared his love for body art.

Most of the women Randy dated were quiet, not very opinionated, and not all that concerned with whatever work they did. He seemed to always find women who only cared about him and what he was doing. Andy was her own woman. As far as her career, he'd met very few women in the business that were as devoted as she was. She'd moved to Japan at 19 and trained with Mariko Yoshida and Takako Inoue. She told him once that she'd been terrified to move to a foreign country at such a young age but it was important to her to be the best and she felt in order to do that, she needed to learn from people she thought were the best.

He was shaken out of his thoughts when she walked over to him, smiling, "I didn't think you and Adam were ever gonna get here."

"So you were waiting for me, huh?" he smirked.

She rolled her eyes, giving him a quick hug, "Don't start."

"I would've been here earlier but I took directions from Lilah," he explained.

"Yeah I heard," she laughed. "That's never a good idea."

"I realize that now," he said. He handed her a bottle of Kauffman vintage vodka, "I come bearing gifts."

He smiled at the impressed look on her face. She looked up at him, "You didn't have to do that."

"I missed you and Em's housewarming," he shrugged. "It's a make up gift."

"Well I love it and it's probably the most useful housewarming gift we got," she said, putting it into the freezer and pulling out a bottle of Jack Daniels. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he watched as she poured a Jack and diet Coke, his usual drink of choice.

"Am I that predictable?" he asked as she handed him the drink.

"In the best possible way," she smiled. "Now here's a test…what am I drinking?"

Randy thought back to the times they'd gone drinking together. The answer came pretty quickly, "Vodka and cranberry with a little lime juice."

"_Very good_ Orton, you've been paying attention," she looked a little surprised. "Come on, I'll show you the rest of the house."

* * *

><p>Cass walked into the kitchen, not surprised to see Adrienne and Randy flirting near the refrigerator. She rolled her eyes, walking over to Emme, "So..is anything actually gonna happen with them this time?"<p>

Emme sighed deeply, opening a bottle of water, "Who knows? They obviously like each other."

"They would have beautiful tattooed little babies," Cass smirked.

"Very true," Emerson agreed, turning her attention away from Adrienne and Randy when they started making their way out of the kitchen. She heard the sound of a door slamming and she was about to storm into the living room to reprimand someone but Cass put a hand on her arm, "Paul and Barbie are fighting again. They were right by the door when Stu and I came inside."

Emme shook her head, "Those two need counseling."

"They need _something_," Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I haven't been updated on _your_ love life recently. What's going on?"

"Absolutely nothing," Emerson answered. "And that's fine with me."

"Oh come on Em," Cassandra sighed. "You haven't been with anyone since Derek."

"Yeah well, when you get dumped for a Hooters waitress, it sours your views on relationships for a little while," Emerson shrugged.

"Did we ever get confirmation that she was actually a Hooters waitress?" Cass questioned.

Emerson gave her a look and Cass crossed her arms over her chest. Emerson was one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen up close. Cass could never understand why her love life was always such a crap shoot.

"That guy was an ass anyway," Cass shrugged. "You work attractive, single men every day. I don't know why you don't just pick one of them."

"Because contrary to what you, Andy, and Lilah seem to believe, I don't just have my pick of any man in the world," Emerson answered. "Not when I'm around tiny little _divas_ all damn day."

Cass didn't even consider Emerson to be overweight but Emme always seemed to bring up dress size. In the last year she had gone from a size 18 down to a 14 and she looked amazing but she didn't seem to see it.

"Emme, I don't know how many times I have to tell you, you don't have to be a size 4 to be hot," Cassandra insisted. "You're gorgeous."

"Says the size 4," Emerson teased.

"There's no excuse for you to be single," Cassandra ignored her friend's comment.

"Except for the fact that I want to be," Emerson smiled.

Cass considered arguing further but Stu walked over, taking her hand, "Emerson, may I borrow her for a moment?"

"Please do," Emerson smiled. "Saved by the brit."

* * *

><p>"Since when do you get nervous?" Adam asked as Lilah paced back and forth in front of the house.<p>

"I'm not nervous," Lilah insisted, taking his drink out of his hand and downing some. She made a face, thrusting the glass back at him, "Iced tea?"

Adam nodded.

"Why aren't you drinking?" she asked. "Are you pregnant?"

"I thought all you Southerners liked ice tea," he smirked.

"We like sweet tea. There's a difference," Lilah explained. "Iced tea is tea with a little bit of sugar. Sweet tea is a pitcher of sugar with a little tea in it. Anyway, what's with the sobriety?"

"I told Randy I'd be the designated driver tonight," he explained.

"Sounds like a good time," Lilah smirked.

"Well, I'm out here with you so…it could be better," he shrugged.

"Don't start with me tonight," she pointed. "You know, I should probably be working on my pitch for Mark right now."

"Lilah, you don't have to do that much," Adam insisted. "Mark's easy. He likes to work with people he's comfortable with, people he knows and trusts. And if I were you I'd start him out working in a tag team or something. Give him some more time to work out the ring rust, you know?"

"You think so?" she asked. "Because I was thinking it should be something different. I thought maybe Alberto or Stu. Maybe even Phil-"

"I think familiar is the way to go," Adam cut her off, drinking more of his tea.

Lilah shrugged, "If you say so. This better not bite me in the ass."

* * *

><p><em>1:00 <em>_a.m._

"Here you go sir," Adrienne walked back out onto the balcony, handing Randy another Jack and Diet.

"Thank you," he took a sip of the drink. "I must admit you were right about this sofa. It's surprisingly comfortable."

Andy and Emerson had a very large patio and they'd recently purchased a large wicker sofa and chair for it. When she brought Randy outside with her, he told her that there was no such thing as comfortable wicker furniture.

"I know," she smiled, sitting down beside him, folding her legs under her. "Best seat in the house."

"It is now,' he smirked and she felt her cheeks flush a bit. She was used to Randy's relentless flirting and tried to treat is as a game but sometimes the way he looked at her had an effect on her. She couldn't help it.

"So, what happened to Fabiana?" Adrienne inquired of Randy's most recent girlfriend, an Brazilian waitress he met at a club in New York.

"That didn't exactly work out," Randy laughed. "She wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed."

"You're kidding," she feigned shock. "Well, who's the new girl?"

"There is no new girl," he shook his head, downing a little more of his drink.

She arched an eyebrow, staring at him, "Who are you and what have you done with my Randy?"

He shrugged, "I haven't really been looking."

"I didn't think you had to," she took a sip of her drink, wincing when she realized that she'd made it a little stronger than she intended.

"True," he laughed. "I don't know. I guess I've just been waiting for something to turn my head."

"Well, whoever turns your head will be a very lucky girl," she assured him.

"I know," he gave her that damned smirk, putting an arm on the back of the couch, his fingers brushing her shoulder.

"How come we never dated?" he asked, his blue eyes finding hers.

Andy was caught off guard by his question. Other people had asked her that quite a few times but she didn't expect it from him. She couldn't take it too seriously though, he'd been drinking for the last few hours.

She looked away quickly, taking another sip of her drink before answering, "You never asked."

"I should really get on that," he smiled.

"You're a real tease Orton," she playfully slapped his arm.

"What makes you think I'm being a tease?" he asked, now lightly rubbing her bare shoulder.

"You're breathing," she smiled, standing up and walking to the door. She looked over her shoulder at him, "I'm gonna go find Em, you coming?"

"With you?" he stood up. "Anywhere."

* * *

><p><strong>Okay peeps, that's all for now. I'm already hard at work on the next chapter. Let me know what you think!<strong>


	4. Chapter 3

**You all know the drill, I only own the original characters. Hope you enjoy this chapter. As always, read, enjoy, and review!  
><strong>

**Chapter 3…**

Randy opened his eyes slowly, wincing as the sun beamed down on him. His mouth felt like the Sahara. He started to sit up but before he could he realized there was something on his stomach, weighing him down. He looked down, relaxing a little when he saw Andy's face. She was lying on her side, her hand below her head, sound asleep. He had a pretty decent recollection of the night before, considering how much he'd had to drink. Most of the people that were there left around 2:30. Randy and Adrienne had come back onto the patio and talked until around 4 when they both fell asleep. He looked down at his watch, seeing that it was 9. Everyone was supposed to be back at the Allstate Arena for a meeting at 1:30.

He hated having to wake her but he knew they should probably both be getting up soon. He ran a hand over her hair and she only nuzzled further into him. He enjoyed the feeling, wanting to put his head back down and go back to sleep but he went against his instinct, nudging her shoulder.

She woke up slowly, her eyes fluttering open. She pushed herself up onto her elbow, looking around, seeming a little confused.

She looked over at him with sleepy eyes and he waved, "Morning."

"Hey," she sat all the way up, turning to face him. "What time is it?"

"9," he answered. "And I have to tell you, you look amazing in the morning."

She laughed, scratching the top of her head, "You never stop, do you?"

He shrugged. He was only half joking. She looked adorable. Her makeup from the night before was smudged around her eyes and half of her hair was a mess from lying on him.

"I can't remember the last time I had a platonic sleepover," Randy smirked, watching her as she got up and stretched.

"Neither can I," she laughed. "I'm not sure if that's good or bad."

"How about I take you out for breakfast?" he offered, standing up and stretching himself. "It's the least I can do since I passed out on your couch."

"I would love to but Emme and I are having breakfast with my dad and my brother," she explained. "I can drive you back to the hotel before we go though."

"You sure?" he asked. "If it's out of the way-"

"It is but I don't think you should be taking public transportation," she smiled, walking to the patio doors and holding one open. "I don't want you getting groupie mobbed."

"That's actually a lot more fun than it sounds," he smiled, gesturing for her to walk ahead.

"_Ew_," she made a face at him over her shoulder.

"I'm gonna shower and change that way I can just head straight to breakfast after I drop you off," she said, walking toward the stairs. "You can shower in the guest bathroom if you want."

Randy smirked and opened his mouth to speak.

"And no, we don't need to shower together to conserve water," she said, walking up the stairs. "Get your mind out of the gutter."

"But it's so much fun there," Randy smirked.

Her phone started ringing and before she answered it, she came back down a few steps, leaning around the corner, "Go take your shower. Make it a cold one."

* * *

><p>"Now how do you know I need a cold shower?" Cass asked as Andy answered the phone.<p>

"Don't you always?" Andy joked.

"Who were you talking to?" Cassandra asked, though she had a pretty good idea of who it was. When she was leaving the night before, Randy and Adrienne were practically cuddling on the couch outside.

"Why do you ask?" Andy returned.

"Why aren't you answering?" she asked.

Andy loved to tease Cassandra for how nosy she was. She should have known this wouldn't be any different.

"What did you call for Cass?" Andy sounded amused.

"Answer my question and I'll answer yours," Cassandra smirked.

Andy sighed dramatically before answering, "I was talking to Randy."

"I _knew_ it!" Cass practically squealed.

"Bring it down a notch, nothing happened," Andy cautioned.

"What do you mean nothing happened?" Cassandra frowned.

When she'd gone outside to say goodnight to them they were so close that Cass thought she'd interrupted a kiss.

"I mean nothing happened," Adrienne repeated. "No loving, no touching, no squeezing."

"You're kidding," Cassandra said, genuinely surprised. "You didn't even kiss him?"

"I drank from his cup, does that count?"

"Well that sucks," Cassandra frowned.

"You are entirely too disappointed about this," Andy laughed. "It's not a big deal."

"Easy for you to say," Cass sighed. "I owe Lilah and Emerson $100 bucks."

"Total or a piece?"

"A piece."

"_Ooh_, that was a bad bet my friend," Andy laughed. "Listen, I need to hop in the shower. I'll see you at the meeting."

"Okay, bye."

Cassandra pressed the button to end her call, placing her phone back on the bedside table. She thought for sure she had that bet won. She wasn't upset over the money, she just hated losing.

She heard a soft grumble next to her and she looked over, laughing at Stu's sleeping form. His feet were hanging off the end of the bed and one of his arms was over the side, his hand on the floor. She nudged his back with her foot, laughing when he nearly fell off of the bed.

"Cassandra!" he glared at her angrily as he sat up.

"Good morning," she bit her bottom lip, trying to stifle her giggles.

He continued to glare at her until she scooted closer to him, getting up on her knees and kissing him softly.

He tried to keep up his angry expression but she kissed him again and he cracked a smile, "You're lucky I like you."

"And _you're_ lucky _I_ like _you_," she said, kissing him again before crawling out of bed.

"I am," he leaned back against the headboard, his hands crossed behind his head. "I'm also starving."

"You just woke up, how do you even know you're starving?" she laughed.

"There are two things a man knows he wants first thing in the morning," he smirked. "1 of them is food."

"And the other?" she smirked.

"Come here and I'll show you."

"I would but I'm hungry too," she smiled. "Take me to breakfast."

"Only if you promise we can come back here before the meeting and I can show you that other thing."

She laughed, picking up his boxers and tossing them at him, "We'll see."

* * *

><p>Mark sat back in his chair, his hands resting on his thighs. She was late. He hated waiting. He never made people wait for him and he expected that same respect from everyone else. Most people knew that about him. Apparently this Lilah hadn't done her research. He felt a sharp pain in his knee and he winced, rubbing his hand over it. Working out with the trainer hadn't felt quite as good as he expected. His knee started throbbing the second he got out of the ring and it hadn't subsided. Fortunately, the trainer hadn't noticed and he happily told Stephanie that Mark was doing just fine. He looked down at his watch one more time and shook his head, getting up. He didn't feel like waiting anymore.<p>

He was reaching for the doorknob when the door opened, nearly hitting him in the hand.

"I am so sorry I'm late," the young blonde woman walked in, heels clicking as she rushed into the room.

Mark sized her up before saying anything. He knew that she'd been Stephanie's assistant for a long time but he didn't know very much about her beyond that. She was pretty, very pretty. He remembered thinking that before but there was something about her that seemed a bit cold. She was almost too perfectly put together. She wore a pale blue shirt with a khaki colored skirt that stopped about mid thigh and a brown leather belt. Her brown leather heels matched the belt perfectly. She wore a small pair of diamond earrings, and a matching pendant around her neck on a very thin chain. She wore just the right amount of makeup and her hair looked as if she'd just left a salon, not a single hair out of place. Her nail polish was even the same color as her shirt.

"I was just leaving," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

She looked down at her phone and back up at him, surprised, "I'm only 5 minutes late."

"Late is late," he shrugged. "I don't like wasting time."

"Well I'm sorry," she gave him an apologetic look. "There was an accident and I-"

"Listen, let's just get on with it," he walked back to his chair, sitting back down and leaning back. "What have you got?"

The relatively calm look she had when she came in was gone now, replaced with apprehension. She set her purse down in the chair across from him, "O-okay. I was thinking that um…"

He felt another pain in his knee and he rubbed it again, trying to keep a neutral expression.

She cleared her throat and began again, "I was thinking that since Kane is currently outnumbered in his feud with the Corre, we could have you return and help him. Maybe this Saturday at Night of Champions we have the vignettes start or we do something with the lights going out, one of the Corre guys goes missing, something of that nature. We do another night of that on Monday and then Thursday you make your return. You and Glenn feud with the Corre through Money in the Bank and get a tag championship run."

She looked slightly more relaxed when she finished speaking. Unfortunately for her, Mark was less relaxed. He was annoyed.

"That is one of the _weakest_ ideas I've _ever_ heard," he made a face.

Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. She closed it quickly, "But-"

Mark got up, "Did you even _think_ about that before you came in here?"

She opened her mouth to answer but he cut her off, "If you did, you shouldn't admit it."

She stared at him, "You know, I've heard a lot about you but I had no idea you were so rude."

"Rude?" he laughed. He took a step toward the door and felt another pain in his knee, which just made him angrier. "I'm not rude. I'm honest. And I _honestly_ believe that Stephanie must have lost her mind giving this to you. You're obviously not ready."

Before she could say anything else, Mark stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

><p>Phil wiped his palms on his jeans, staring out the window. He was glad Kofi decided to drive to the arena that day because he would have been far too distracted to keep his eyes on the road in front of him.<p>

"Phil?" Kofi's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Yeah?" he asked, eyes still focused on the buildings going by.

"I've been talking to you for like 5 minutes," Kofi said, annoyed. "I will turn this car around if you don't tell me what's going on right now."

"You turn the car around and we show up late, we get fined," Phil turned his attention toward his friend.

"It's a figure of speech, damn it," Kofi laughed. "Come on, man, what's wrong? You're worrying me. I've never seen you nervous."

"Who said I was nervous?" Phil raised a brow at him.

"The sweaty palms and heel tapping were kind of a give away," Kofi smirked. "We're friends. You can talk to me, you know that."

"I know I can," Phil said. "I just don't want to right now. Believe me, you'll see soon enough."

* * *

><p>"Thank you girls for breakfast," Roger Nixon hugged his daughter tightly, then turned and hugged Emerson.<p>

"Any excuse to see you," Emerson smiled.

Andy laughed. Roger had practically adopted Emerson as his second daughter when they met. The same could be said for Emme's father Carson with Andy.

"Tell Ty I love him," Andy said. Her younger brother Tyler had taken her dogs for a walk. They were going to be staying at her father's house while she was on the road.

"I will," Roger said. "I think he's a little disappointed that you aren't taking him with you."

"I told him Christmas break, maybe Thanksgiving," Andy said, feeling guilty. She and her brother were very close. Her first year on the road she flew him to wherever she was practically every chance she got. She loved how amazed he was by everything and everyone he met and how much fun he had. Wrestling had always been a big deal in her family. Their mother Lucy died when Adrienne was 14 and her brother Tyler was 6. The family lost a lot when Lucy passed away. Lucy had been teacher at a performing arts school and Roger was a construction worker. They had always lived comfortably enough, though they didn't have much. Tyler was deaf and Lucy had always insisted that he be in the best school for the deaf in the area, which wasn't cheap. Lucy spent an immense amount of time in the hospital before she succumbed to cancer and her family was left with a mountain of medical bills. Adrienne had to work part time, quitting all of her after school activities in order to help her father pay off the bills and keep Tyler in school. Their relationship was strained at times but wrestling helped bring them together. She could remember days when they'd barely spoken to each other but they all sat down together to watch Raw or Smackdown and Andy would tell her family about how she was going to be there one day.

"We'll see you soon Roger," Emerson smiled, giving him one more quick hug before heading toward the car.

Andy turned to start walking down the stairs but her father stepped in her way, pulling her into another tight hug.

"I am so proud of you, you know that?" he asked.

"Dad, what's with all the love?" she laughed. He'd been singing her praises all morning. She thought he was going to whip out baby pictures and show the waitress at breakfast.

"You're my little girl," he smiled, releasing the hug and patting her cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too dad," she gave him a suspicious look. "Did you do something bad?"

"Cant a father just tell his daughter he loves her?" he laughed.

"I guess so," she decided not to push but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

* * *

><p><em>1:00 PM.<em>

Shawn smiled when he saw Lilah sitting with Stephanie's assistant Michael. She was most likely giving the young man a pep talk. Stephanie wasn't exactly his biggest fan.

"Hey there," he walked over.

"Hi Mr. Michaels," the young man smiled.

"Michael," Shawn patted him on the shoulder. "I keep telling you, you can call me Shawn."

"Sorry sir," Michael said, anxiously wringing his hands.

Shawn fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"I should get going," Michael got up. "Thanks for the advice Lilah."

"Anytime hon," Lilah smiled at him. She shook her head when he walked away, "That poor boy is gonna have a stomach full of ulcers by the time she's done with him."

"I'd say that's a safe bet," Shawn laughed. "How was your meeting with Mark?"

Lilah made a face, "That was quite possibly the worst meeting I've ever had in my life."

"Oh come on now," he laughed. "It couldn't have been that bad."

"He told me my pitch was so stupid that I shouldn't actually admit it took any thought," Lilah crossed her arms over her chest.

Shawn winced. Mark could be harsh at times but he hadn't expected him to be quite that bad.

"What'd you say to that?"

"I bit my tongue and he walked out," she answered.

Shawn was surprised. He'd seen Lilah tell people where they could shove it in writer's meetings. It wasn't like her to just bite her tongue when it came to work.

"You did the wrong thing," Shawn sighed, rubbing his head.

"By not calling him an asshole?" she laughed.

"If you wanted to call him an asshole, you should have called him an asshole," Shawn said.

She laughed but he shook his head, "I'm serious. Mark doesn't need to like you but he does need to have respect for you or your life will be hell."

"Well then I think it already is," she sighed.

"It's not too late," he insisted. "You just have to try again. Be yourself and do not back down. Mark knows fear and weakness. If he sees either, he'll never respect you. Just make sure you believe in what you say."

Lilah was quiet for a few seconds, considering what he said. She looked back at him, "I have to admit, I wasn't totally confident. I had an idea and then I talked to Adam and he convinced me to change it. Maybe I should go with my original pitch."

"You should," he smiled. "You'll be fine."

"Thanks Shawn," she smiled, touching his hand. "I wish you were on the road full time."

He smiled, "Yeah, sometimes I wish I was too."

* * *

><p>"Steph!"<p>

Stephanie winced when she heard Mark's voice coming down the hall. She'd holed herself up in a conference room to get some work done before the meeting. She was sure Michael had told him where she was. She hadn't heard from Lilah after the meeting. Mark's bellowing for her was beginning to dash her high hopes.

The door opened and she forced a smile, "Hi."

Mark simply stared at her and Stephanie dropped the smile. He'd known her most of her life, they knew each other two well for fake smiles, "What happened?"

"I'm not doing it Steph," he shook his head. "I cant work with that woman."

Stephanie frowned. She may have been a little biased but she couldn't imagine a better person on the writing staff to work with. She figured if things went badly between them, it had to be because of him.

"What did you do?"

"I didn't do a damn thing," he insisted. "She showed up late with a stale idea. She's obviously not ready Steph."

"With all due respect Mark, _I _make that decision, not you," she gave him a stern look. "Lilah has handled big angles by herself before and she has more than delivered. You didn't like the idea, fine, I'll tell her to come up with another one. But you need to understand that I trust her. My father trusts her. Hunter trusts her. You're just going to have to deal."

* * *

><p>Andy stared at her reflection in the mirror. She took a long deep breath in through her nose and slowly exhaled.<p>

_This is not a big deal_, she coached herself in her head. _You can handle this._

"Andy, you look perfect, stop staring at yourself," Emme playfully tugged at Andy's ponytail when she came out of the stall. Andy had almost forgotten she wasn't alone in the bathroom.

"Thanks," she forced a smile, turning on the faucet to wash her hands again.

Emme washed her hands and the two of them exited the bathroom. Lilah and Cassandra were waiting outside the door.

"Honey, are you okay?" Lilah asked, putting a hand on Andy's arm. "You look a little pale."

"I'm good," Andy insisted as they started walking down the hall.

"You should be after last night," Cass smirked.

"Cass, we did _not_ have sex," Andy felt herself relax a little as she laughed at her friend. "Nobody in their right mind has sex on patio furniture."

"She's right about that," Lilah said. "I tried once and the result was not pleasant. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Splinters?" Emme smirked.

Lilah winced and Andy laughed at the look on her friend's face. They were going around a corner and Andy was about to make fun of Lilah when she felt herself walk into something and stumble backward. She nearly fell but managed to regain her footing. She quickly realized she'd walked right into Kofi Kingston.

"I am so sorry," he held out a hand to make sure she didn't fall. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, no worries," she smiled.

"What did you do now?"

Andy heard a painfully familiar voice coming toward them and she felt as if time stopped.

* * *

><p>Phil was laughing when he came around the corner to tease Kofi. He was always running into something or someone. At times, he had way too much energy for one person.<p>

"What did you do now?" he asked, walking over to him and slapping a hand on Kofi's shoulder.

He looked to see who Kofi had run into and when he saw her, his mouth went dry. There she was, in the flesh.

Andy Nixon.

Kofi said something but Phil wouldn't have been able to make it out for a million dollars. It seemed that all of his faculties were focused on her.

He took a tentative step closer, "Hi."

She didn't respond.

"It's..It's really good to see you," he said, running a nervous hand over his hair and then shoving his hands in his pockets.

One of her eyebrows arched slightly but she still didn't say anything. She looked like she was holding her breath.

"Andy?" Cassandra Palmer touched her arm, which seemed to snap her back to reality.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

Her expression quickly changed from shock to disbelief and she shook her head, "Fuck off."

"Adrienne!" Lilah Copeland gasped but before she could say anything else, the redhead had turned on her heel, storming down the hall.

Phil couldn't say he was completely shocked by her response but this definitely wasn't what he'd hoped for. Emerson turned and followed her while Cassandra and Lilah stayed behind. Both women and Kofi stared at Phil.

"What the hell just happened?" Lilah asked.

"I was wondering the same thing," Kofi added.

"You guys don't know?" Phil frowned, staring back at the women. He knew Kofi had no idea what was going on but he'd been told more than once that Lilah, Cassandra, Emerson, and Andy were thick as thieves, practically sisters. Was it possible that they didn't know?

"Don't know _what_?' Cassandra asked.

"Obviously, _none_ of us know," Kofi said.

Phil pulled his hands out of his pockets, running his hands over his hair again as he took a deep breath. This was certainly interesting, "You ladies should probably talk to Andy."

"We're talking to you," Cassandra looked annoyed.

Lilah crossed her arms over her chest, fixing an icy gaze on him. Suddenly they reminded Phil of guard dogs. They obviously weren't pleased that Andy was upset and they weren't going anywhere until they figured out why.

"Well," Phil shrugged.

_Rip it off like a band aid Brooks_

"Andy is my ex wife."


	5. Chapter 4

**Okay peeps, Here's the next chapter. A few questions will be answered and you'll probably have a few more once it's over. Remember to review, hearing other people's opinion helps the writing process along. Also, as I'm sure you'll notice, I'm taking a few creative liberties: Phil and Andy are only 4 years apart in age making her 24 and him 28. And Smackdown is a live show aired on Thursdays like it used to be instead of Fridays. As always: I own the original characters, that's all folks. Enjoy!  
><strong>

**Chapter 4...**

Andy pushed through the bathroom door, pacing frantically. She could feel the backs of her eyes stinging and she fanned at her face, refusing to let tears fall. She hated crying. She wasn't about to do it over him.

The door opened again and Emme quietly slipped into the room.

"I'm sorry," Andy walked over to the sink, turning on the faucet and cupping her hands beneath the water. She leaned down, splashing the water over her face, hoping the cool splash would calm her.

It didn't.

"You know, when I went through that in my head, it went a _lot_ better," she said. A nervous laugh escaped her and she grabbed a paper towel, dabbing at her cheeks.

"What exactly was that?" Emerson asked.

Andy knew she had no choice. She was going to have to tell her.

She took a deep breath, wringing the paper towel in her hands.

"Phil is…he's…"

"You were _married_?"

Andy winced as Lilah came into the room like a blonde whirlwind with Cass right on her heels.

"_What_?" Emme stared.

"She and Phil were married," Cassandra shot Andy an accusatory look

"Is that true?" Emerson stared and Andy sighed, nodding.

"How could you not tell me that?" Emme asked.

Andy hated seeing her best friend's hurt expression. She knew she should have told her, told all of them, earlier but she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

"You have two seconds to start explaining," Lilah looked down at her watch.

Andy leaned against the wall, looking down at her nails as she started to talk, "We met when I was 16. He was 20. I thought he was.._incredible_. I…you know, I _really_ don't wanna talk about this right now…I promise you guys I will explain it later but…I just cant."

She bit the inside of her bottom lip and their expressions softened. Emme walked over, wrapping her arms around her and the other two followed.

"I can beat him up if you want," Cass joked.

"It's not worth it," Andy laughed, shaking her head as they let her go. "Besides, I'm not gonna have to see him that much. He's on Raw, I'm on Smackdown. Aside from pay per views and overseas tours…I can just go back to pretending he doesn't exist."

"Honey, I'm not sure it's reasonable for you to think you can just avoid him like that," Lilah said, looking a bit anxious.

Emerson put a hand on her arm, "Let's just leave it alone for now."

Andy offered them half of a smile, "Thanks."

* * *

><p><em>12 hour Later..._

Phil was only half listening as Stephanie spoke. He'd tried his best not to but he couldn't help staring at Andy. It wasn't like he hadn't seen her since they broke up but there was a difference between her in pictures or on TV and actually being 5 feet away from her.

"Stop staring," Kofi leaned over and whispered to him. "It's creepy."

"I'm not staring," Phil whispered back.

He could still remember the first time he met Andy. He had been working out in the ring with Scott Colton but took a break for a few minutes because he'd been having some back problems. She walked in alone, wide green eyes taking in her surroundings. He remembered she was wearing Taz's FTW ECW shirt, a short denim skirt, and combat boots. Her hair was it's natural red at the time. He'd practically run over to help her when he saw Scott eyeing her. She had come in to find out how much she needed to put down to start taking classes. Unfortunately, she hadn't saved up enough yet but Phil was intrigued by her. Before he knew it, he looked at the clock and realized he'd been talking to her for an hour. He got her phone number and when he called her that night, they talked for another hour. Pretty soon what little free time Phil had, he spent with her. When she wasn't in school or working, she hung out with he and Scott in the gym. She would even ride with them to whatever show they were doing over the weekends. For her birthday that year, he and Scott put together some money and paid for her first few months of wrestling school. She'd been a gymnast and a dancer as a kid and found that she was a complete natural. Everyone around her, especially Phil, could see that she had the full package. She was great in the ring, beautiful, and a confident, witty public speaker. If Phil hadn't been completely in love before, he was after seeing her at work in Steel Dominion. She graduated high school early in January of that year since she had enough credits and got an academic scholarship to Northwestern University. She had a while before school started and she moved up to full time at her job and she started taking Indy bookings. Phil was going on the road more and brought her with him whenever he could. He remembered Scott telling him that he knew from the moment they met that he and Andy were going to end up together. Phil knew it too. She was his match. She could go toe to toe with him about anything; wrestling, music, she even knew a decent amount about comics. About a month before she turned 18, she and Phil were at a tattoo parlor in Des Moines, Iowa after a show. Scott and his girlfriend at the time were with them. Andy was getting a tattoo for her brother, Tyler, the bat symbol behind her right ear, and she was laughing and talking with Scott and the tattoo artist and there was something about the way she smiled up at him that just got to him. He knelt in front of her and proposed while she was still being tattooed. At first, everyone thought he was joking but soon enough, she realized he was 'd asked to take a break from the tattoo and happily said yes. A month later, Scott was ordained online and married them in the ring at Steel Dominion. In lieu of rings, they had each other's initials tattooed in the web of their left hands. They didn't tell her father, Roger, until after they were married. He obviously wasn't pleased but Roger was never one to make a scene. He did, however, pull Phil aside and tell him that if he ruined his daughter's future, Roger would never forgive him and he would never forgive himself. Phil had never had any intentions of ruining anything for Andy.

"Pay attention," Kofi nudged him and Phil tried to shake away his thoughts of his marriage and looked up at Stephanie.

"I have one final announcement and it is a big one," Stephanie explained. "We've kept this from all of you because we didn't want it getting leaked…This weekend at Night of Champions; we will be announcing the end of brand extension, effective Monday. This is why you were all told to plan to appear at both shows next week. Certain angles and titles will be more prevalent on one show or another but the crew will now travel as a whole."

The room was buzzing after Stephanie gave them the news.

Kofi nudged Phil and nodded across the table. Phil followed his friend's gaze toward Andy.

Her eyes had fallen on him.

This was going to be interesting.

* * *

><p>Lilah already knew about the brand extension so she tuned Stephanie out as she answered the million and a half questions that were being thrown at her.<p>

Lilah was significantly more interested in the way that Phil had been staring at Andy through the whole meeting. She looked over at him. He was turned toward Kofi and as she watched him, she noticed something she'd never realized before. Phil had a tattoo of a lock behind his right ear. She remembered that Andy had a tattoo of an antique key on the back of her neck, just below her hairline. She'd once asked Andy what the significance was but Andy told her there wasn't any. She wondered now if that was true. She looked over at her friend. Andy was sitting next to her, staring down at her hands. Lilah reached out to put a reassuring hand on her arm but before she could touch her, Andy got up, turning and walking quickly out of the room. Lilah got up to follow but Randy, who had been standing behind her, put a hand on her shoulder, "I'll go."

* * *

><p>Randy walked out one of the doors that led to the parking area they were all told to use. It didn't take long to find her. Adrienne was sitting on the trunk of a car, biting her thumb nail, staring off into space.<p>

She didn't seem to notice him until he was right next to her. He leaned against the trunk, his shoulder touching hers, "You seemed pretty upset in there. Are you that disappointed at the thought of traveling the country with me?"

She laughed, just barely, looking over at him.

"Come on, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Well," she sighed. "I just found out I'm gonna be on the road with my ex husband for the foreseeable future, so…"

"Ex- Husband?" Randy stared. "What ex-husband?"

"Phil," she admitted, looking down at her hands. "We got married when I was 18."

Randy certainly hadn't been expecting that.

"I had no idea," he said, unsure of what else to say.

"No one did," she explained.

"How long have you been divorced?" he asked.

"It was annulled after about 3 months," she answered.

"Wow," he said, still not sure how to react. Keeping secrets in their business was nearly impossible. He couldn't believe Andy and Phil managed to keep anyone from knowing they'd even dated, let alone that they had been married. "What happened?"

"I don't really know," she shrugged, staring off into space. "I thought everything was…perfect. We were happy. Then one day after a show, I fainted. I had been feeling sort of off for a few days but I didn't say anything. Anyway, I was taken to the hospital and the doctors said it was exhaustion and dehydration. I was in college at the time and working in every spare second I had. I just wasn't taking care of myself the way I should've been. I was there for 2 days. He was there every second. When they said I could go, he brought me home and he had filled our tiny little apartment with flowers. He waited on me hand and foot. Everything was fine. When I felt better, I went back to school and work. Then about a week later, I came home and Phil's stuff was gone. There was a letter taped to the fridge, telling me that things just weren't working anymore. He said he loved me but he wasn't sure he was in love with me anymore. He was going on the road with Ring of Honor and he had moved all of his things to a friend's house. He paid the rent for the next two months and that was that. He was gone and I was crushed. I haven't seen him in person since. I distanced myself from just about all of our mutual friends. When I turned 19, I moved to Japan. When I started on Raw, he was hurt. He came back after I got hurt. I've just been lucky enough to keep missing him but now…Now _this_."

"Well, he obviously never deserved you," he smirked, moving to stand in front of her. "In fact, I'm kind of amazed at your bad taste."

She laughed, and then put a hand over her mouth as if she was surprised by the sound.

Randy smiled, "Seriously, look at you and look at him."

"You're very sweet," she laughed, getting off of the trunk and standing in front of him. She leaned up giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me for anything," he assured her, holding his hand out. "You ready to go back inside?"

She placed her hand in his, "I guess so."

* * *

><p><em>7 P.M.<em>

Kofi looked over at Phil, whose eyes were locked on the road, his hands tightly gripping the steering wheel. They were driving to Moline, Illinois the location of their house show the next night. Kofi had been annoyed with Phil all day. He was offended that his best friend hadn't told him about something so big. Kofi had managed to keep quiet during most of the ride to Milwaukee but they were almost there and he couldn't stay silent any longer. He was going crazy.

"How is it that you were married to someone we work with you and never told me?"

"It's ancient history," Phil shrugged, eyes still on the road.

"Ancient history?" Kofi laughed. "6 years ago is ancient history?"

"Yes, it is," Phil nodded. "Besides, it never came up. We haven't had to be around each other in a long time."

"Yeah but when she got hired-"

"I figured if it came up, it came up," Phil shrugged. "My failed marriage at 22 isn't exactly something I love talking about. I'm sorry that I didn't say anything. It's not like I don't trust you or anything like that. I just didn't want to talk about it."

Kofi nodded. He accepted his friend's apology. He could tell from the way Andy reacted to seeing him that things obviously hadn't ended well.

"So…were you in love with her?" Kofi asked.

Phil nodded slowly, tapping his thumbs on the wheel.

"Who ended it?"

Phil shrugged, "I guess I did."

"You guess?" Kofi asked. "Did she cheat on you or something?"

Phil shook his head, "No. She didn't do anything."

"Then what ha-"

"Can we talk about this some other time?" Phil asked. "This has been kind of a long day."

Kofi nodded. He had a lot more questions but he knew if he pressed further that Phil would just shut down. He would have to find out the whole story later.

* * *

><p>Lilah took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, standing at the door to Mark's hotel room. Before she could think too much about her doubts, she knocked on the door. When she heard footsteps coming toward her she winced. In the back of her mind she'd been hoping that he wasn't there so she could tell Shawn she'd tried but wasn't able to find him. The door swung open and a very unhappy pair of green eyes fixed themselves on her.<p>

"I need to talk to you."

* * *

><p>Mark stared at Lilah, wondering what the hell she needed to talk to him about that couldn't wait until the morning. He had just fallen asleep when he heard her knocking.<p>

"What exactly do we need to talk about?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"I don't think it mattered what my idea was today," Lilah said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I think you were pouting because Stephanie doesn't want to hold your hand."

Mark glared at her, "Do you know who you're talking to?"

"I know _exactly_ who I'm talking to," Lilah said. "_You_ apparently don't. I am not some rookie in need of your guidance or your tough love. I am _damn_ good at my job and I don't let _anyone_ talk to me the way you did earlier. Better men have tried and I have torn them to shreds. I thought it was best to keep my mouth shut earlier because everyone respects you so much but you know what? I don't know you. And if you don't respect me, I don't have to respect you."

Mark was stunned. He couldn't remember the last time anyone, especially a woman, had spoken to him with such defiance and anger. Lilah's cheeks were flushed, her eyes were focused on him and Mark realized that he was completely wrong about her being cold. She was a hot head if you pushed the right button.

"I don't care if you don't want to work with me," she continued. "I'm what you've got and you damn well better treat me better than you did today."

For once, Mark wasn't totally sure of what to say. She'd completely thrown him off. He had been unnecessarily harsh toward her. His knee was killing him that morning and he knew he had taken it out on her. He wasn't one to apologize though. He never had been.

"Now are you gonna get it together or not?' she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Before Mark even knew what he was doing, he had pulled Lilah forward, pressing his lips against hers.

At first she went stiff, her small hands futilely pressing against his chest. But after a few seconds, she relaxed a bit, parting her lips for him. His hands tangled in her hair as he explored her mouth with his. He slowly let his hands travel away from her hair and down her body. He pulled her shirt out of her skirt and slid his hand underneath it, groaning when he felt the satin fabric of her bra.

She stiffened again, this time managing to separate herself from him. She shocked Mark, slapping him right across the face.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she asked.

"I think we both know what that was," he said, rubbing his stinging cheek.

Her lips looked a little swollen and her cheeks were turning red.

"You are _ridiculous_," she glared at him. "You treated me like dirt this morning and now you think you can just shove your tongue down my throat?"

"You didn't seem too upset about it," he smirked.

"I was shocked!" she glared.

"You come to a man's hotel room in the middle of the night and you're shocked when he kisses you?" he asked.

She opened her mouth to say something else but she still seemed stunned from the kiss. She shook her head, turning and walking out of the room, not even closing the door behind her.

Mark walked to the door, leaning into the hall and watching her. She was walking away as fast as her heels would carry her but he knew she wasn't as angry as she pretended to be. He could tell from the way she'd kissed him back. He had gotten under her skin.

* * *

><p>Cassandra sleepily walked to her door, standing on her toes to look out the peep hole. Normally if Stu planned on stopping by at night, he called or texted her first. She was surprised when she didn't see him on the other side of the door. She saw Lilah pacing back and forth.<p>

She quickly opened the door, "Hey. Are you okay?"

"You will not believe what just happened," Lilah rushed into the room.

Cass flipped on one of the lights, yawning as she followed her best friend, "What happened?"

"Mark just kissed me," Lilah blurted.

Cass was immediately awake, "_What_?"

"I went to his room to confront him about the way he treated me earlier," Lilah said. "I was going off on him and then he just planted one on me."

"Wow," Cass stared. "Did you like it?'

"Cassandra!" Lilah admonished her.

"What?" she asked. "That is a perfectly valid question."

"No Cass, I did not like it," Lilah glared.

Cass could tell that Lilah wasn't trying to lie to her. She clearly wanted to believe that she hadn't enjoyed it but Cass knew her better than she knew herself and she could see that her friend was, at the very least, intrigued.

"You have to promise not to tell anyone," Lilah pointed.

"Oh come on," Cassandra protested. "I cannot be expected to keep this to myself. That is totally unfair."

Lilah rolled her eyes, "Andy and Emme. That's it."

"Who else would I tell?"


	6. Chapter 5

**Here's the next chapter. Read, Enjoy, and don't forget to Review!  
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**Chapter 5…**

_Thursday…_

Lilah picked at her English muffin, half listening to what her friends were talking about. She wished she could focus her attention on the conversation but she just kept thinking back to the night before. She was fairly certain that she was in shock.

"So, Lilah, are you gonna try to talk to Mark again today?" Emme asked, pulling the blonde out of her thoughts.

She nodded, "Yeah I..I revised my ideas last night and I'm much happier."

"I still can't believe he went off on you like that," Andy shook her head.

"He's definitely unpredictable," Lilah shook her head.

"Didn't you used to have a Brothers of Destruction crush back in the day?" Andy laughed. "I thought I remembered Adam saying you were a big Taker fan."

Lilah felt the piece of muffin she'd put in her mouth get caught in her throat and she started coughing.

Emme patted her on the back until she managed to swallow it down. All the while, Cass was trying to hide her giggles by drinking her water.

"What's so funny?" Andy looked over at Cassandra.

"She made out with Mark last night," Cass blurted.

Andy's mouth dropped open while Emme shook her head, "_What_?"

Lilah glared at her best friend, who shrugged, "I told you I couldn't do it."

"You weren't gonna tell us?" Andy stared. "What the hell?"

"How did this even happen?" Emme asked. "When did you see him?"

"I went to his room to chew him out," Lilah said, feeling as bewildered by it as they looked. "Next thing I know, he's trying to put his hand up my shirt."

Andy's mouth dropped open again.

"What did you do?" Emme asked.

"I slapped him," Lilah answered. "And then I left."

Andy's shocked expression turned to a devious one and she smiled, "How was it?"

"_Adrienne_," Lilah scolded.

"What?' Andy laughed. "It's a valid question."

"_No_ I did not like it," Lilah insisted. "And it will never happen again."

* * *

><p>"She slapped you?" Glenn laughed. "I can't imagine Lilah slapping anyone."<p>

Mark had just recounted the previous evening and Glenn was amazed.

"She got me good too," Mark rubbed his face. "My damn cheek was sore all night."

"Congratulations Mark," Glenn smiled. "You managed to make a woman hate you in less than 24 hours."

"She doesn't hate me," Mark insisted.

"She slapped the hell out of you," Glenn laughed.

"Yeah but before that.." Mark smiled. 'Trust me, she doesn't hate me."

"What made you think you could get away with kissing her?" Glenn asked. "Especially after you tore her head off about her pitch?"

"I wasn't thinking about whether or not I could get away with it Glenn, I wasn't really thinking at all," Mark shrugged. "She started chewing me out and I just..I saw her in a different light."

"She's not exactly your type," Glenn reminded him.

Mark nodded, "I know…I think that's what I like."

Glenn shook his head. Mark had been single for a year following his divorce from Michelle and he had insisted that he wasn't interested in any kind of relationship. Lilah was a nice girl and from what he knew, she wasn't one to be someone's one night stand.

Mark didn't have a playboy reputation like some of the younger guys were but Glenn knew him well enough to know that when he wanted something he got it. And he obviously had his sights set on Lilah.

* * *

><p>Phil took a long drink, finishing off his bottle of water as he walked from his rental car back into the hotel. His workout hadn't had the desired effect. He was hoping spending some time in the gym alone, without Kofi asking a million questions and other people staring at him, he would be able to clear his head. It hadn't worked at all. He'd been unable to keep thoughts of Andy out of his head. He just kept thinking about the look on her face when she saw him. She hated him and it drove him crazy. He wasn't expecting her to jump into his arms or anything but he had hoped enough time had passed that they could at least speak to each other. Her reaction to him made him painfully aware of just how much he'd hurt her and he hated it. He wished he could just get her to talk to him. He was waiting for an elevator when he heard a small cough behind him. He turned, seeing Emerson standing there, obviously trying not to look at him. He didn't know her all that well. She'd made some repairs for him before and had always been pleasant. From what Phil had heard, Emerson was the sanest of Andy's friends. He hoped that was true because he was pretty sure she was the only person who could help him.<p>

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Phil asked, feeling a little anxious.

She looked over her shoulder, assuming he was talking to someone else. When she saw there was no one there she looked back at him in surprise, "Um..Sure, I guess."

"I was wondering if you could help me," he explained. "Andy won't even look at me. I just want to talk to her."

"And what makes you think I would help you?" she asked, confused. "Andy is my best friend and it seems like things didn't go too well between the two of you."

"I just want to tell her I'm sorry," he sighed. "I want us to be able to talk to each other. We have to work together; we can't leave things like this."

She crossed her arms over her chest, looking away. After considering his words for a few seconds she rolled her eyes, handing him her IPhone, "Put your number in there. I'll let you know when I can set something up."

"Thank you," he smiled, genuinely surprised. "I really appreciate this."

"Just understand that I can get you two together but I can't make her talk," Emerson warned as he handed the phone back to her.

"I understand."

* * *

><p>"Come on, you can do five more," Andy chided Stu as he raised the weights above his head.<p>

Stu laughed, putting the barbell back in the rack, "I think that's enough for now."

"Wuss," Andy teased, handing him a bottle of water.

"I'd forgotten what a terrible spotter you are," Stu laughed, wiping the sweat from his face and tossing his towel at Andy.

He had missed his friend quite a bit while she was off the road. They'd become very close after training in FCW together. Cass had told him what happened with Phil and that morning and he was worried about her. He knew her well enough to know that if she hadn't told anyone about her relationship with Phil; it was because she was still hurt.

"So you're sure you're alright?" he asked. When they got to the gym after her breakfast with the girls, he'd asked her what happened and, begrudgingly, she told him about her past with Phil.

"I'm fine, really," she nodded, tightening her ponytail. "I'm a little sick of talking about it though. I wish I'd just rounded up all of my friends in a room so I only had to tell the story once."

"Would you like me to talk to him?" Stu asked, holding up a fist. "I can make sure he steers clear of you."

He and Phil had always gotten along well but his loyalty definitely lied with her, especially after she told him what happened. He was surprised. Phil never seemed like the type to abandon someone the way he did to Andy but maybe Stu didn't really know him as well as he thought.

She laughed, shaking her head, "That's unnecessary but thank you. Let's change the subject. How are things with you and Cass?"

"Why aren't you asking her?" he smirked.

"Because if I ask her, she'll want to talk about the sex and I _really_ don't want to hear that," she scrunched up her face.

Andy was somewhat responsible for Cass and Stu hooking up in the first place. When they were in FCW, Cass, Lilah, and Emerson came to Florida for a weekend and Stu had bugged Andy until she agreed to introduce him. She was seeing Adam at the time so nothing happened but they got along well and remained friends. Even after her breakup from Adam, they were just friends though they flirted all the time. That all changed in March. The girls threw a big party for Lilah's birthday at her parent's home on Tybee Island. Stu and Cass's flirting was at an all time high and, annoyed, Andy pulled both of them aside and told them that she was sick of them coming to her to talk about each other. '_You two want to bone and I am _beyond_ sick of hearing about it_' had been her exact words. With that, she walked away leaving Cass blushing and Stu feeling somewhat awkward. That night, they slept together for the first time and it was incredible. The next morning, they were woken up by Emerson coming to tell them she and Andy were making breakfast. Before they went down to eat, they had a talk. Cass explained that she was not interested in a relationship after the way things had gone with Adam. Stu had just gotten out of a relationship himself and though he wasn't as staunchly against it as she was, he understood and he agreed. They were both young and wanted to have fun. They enjoyed each other's company and no one felt any pressure.

"Things are great," Stu answered. "I have a great time with her, you know that."

"You guys seem pretty into each other," Andy said. "You think it's ever gonna get more serious?"

Stu smiled. He'd always gotten the impression that Andy wanted him and Cassandra to be something more than they were. He shrugged, "Whatever happens happens."

She narrowed her eyes, obviously not pleased with the answer and he laughed, "Moving right along, how are you feeling about tonight? You nervous?"

"No actually," she shook her head. "I'm just excited. I really like what Steph has planned for me. And Jamie coming next week helps."

Jamie Szantyr, formerly known in TNA as Velvet Sky, was debuting the next week. She'd signed a deal with the company about 6 months earlier when TNA let her contract expire. She and Andy had been friends for years, having met in their younger days on the independent scene. The company had hired her as they were attempting to revamp the women's division.

Andy's phone made a sound and she picked it up, smiling.

"What are you smiling about?" Stu asked, plucking the phone from her hand. She reached for it but he held it high, out of her reach. "Ooh, it's a text message from _Randy_."

"Give me my phone or I will tell Cass on you," she glared at him.

"Party pooper," he frowned, handing the phone back to her. "So you and Randy? It's about time."

"There is no me and Randy," she argued. "We're just friends."

"Well you just let me know when that changes," he said. He held up his fist again, "I'm gonna need to have a talk with him too."

* * *

><p>'Thanks bud," Hunter patted the driver on the shoulder as he held the door open for him and Adam. They'd just finished a radio interview and were heading to the arena.<p>

"That was interesting," Adam laughed as he followed Hunter into the backseat, closing the door behind him.

"Gotta love when the people interviewing us haven't watched wrestling since Hogan was champ," Hunter shook his head. He was glad to have the opportunity to do the interview with Adam. He considered him a good friend and had always enjoyed working with him but he hadn't spent very much time around him lately because Hunter had been doing some scouting trips.

"So how've you been, man?" Hunter asked.

"Good," Adam leaned against the seat, pushing his sunglasses to the top of his head. "My back's been bothering me a little but I'll live."

"I know the feeling," Hunter laughed. "That intern at the radio station was falling over herself to get you everything you needed. You get a chance to talk to her?"

"Wasn't really interested," Adam shook her head. "She looked like she was 17."

"Maybe she was a mature 17," Hunter joked. "Have you dated _anyone_ since Cass?"

"I've been on some dates," Adam shrugged. "Things just didn't work out I guess."

Hunter nodded, looking out the window for a moment. He wasn't sure if Adam was telling the truth or not. He was sure that Cass had really hurt him. After things blew up years before with Matt and Amy, Adam had gone through a pretty long stretch of one night stands and groupies because he wanted to avoid drama. Hunter could remember him saying that when he found a woman worth the trouble, he would change. Cassandra Palmer seemed to be that woman. Adam fell for her hard and fast. They seemed like a perfect couple. Adam never confirmed it but Hunter was pretty sure he'd been considering proposing before he found out about her indiscretion with Patrick.

"I know that look," Adam pointed. "You don't need to be concerned. I'm over her. I just..haven't found anyone new yet. Doesn't mean I'm not looking."

Hunter still wasn't sure if Adam was being honest. He wasn't sure he would ever be over Cass but he was going to have to trust his friend's word, "Good. Maybe I'll ask Steph if she knows anyone you might like."

* * *

><p>"Lilah?"<p>

Lilah looked up from the memo she was typing when she heard Michael's familiar anxious tone.

"Yes?" she gave him a warm smile.

"Mr. Callaway asked me to find you," he explained. "He'd like to see you."

Lilah felt her face get hot and she wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment, anger, or a combination of the two.

"Did you explain to Mr. Callaway that you aren't his employee and neither am I?" she snipped.

"N-no," Michael looked confused. His skin went pale, "You don't want me to say that to him, do you?"  
>Lilah struggled not to roll her eyes, instead she rubbed her temple, "No, Michael. I'll take care of it."<br>"Thank you," he looked relieved. "He's in conference room 2."  
>Lilah walked past Michael's tense form into the hall. She walked to the hall with the conference rooms, stopping at the second door. She took a deep breath before opening it. She found Mark leaning back in a chair, his feet up on the table.<br>"Is there something wrong with you?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.  
>"What do you mean?" he asked, already seeming amused with her anger.<br>"You can man handle me in a hotel room but you can't come find me yourself?" she asked. "What the hell kind of sense does that make?"  
>"Sweetheart, if that's what you consider manhandling," he got up, walking toward her. "Then I've got a lot to show you."<br>"I do not need you or anyone else to show me anything," she narrowed her eyes.  
>"You sure about that?" he smirked.<br>The way he was looking at her made her made her want to look down and make sure she still had her clothes on.  
>"Did my slapping you deter you at all?" she asked.<br>"I've been slapped harder," he shrugged. "Listen, I apologize for the way I treated you when you made your pitch. I was having a bad day and I took it out on you. That was wrong."

"Yes, it was," she nodded.

"So why don't you let me make it up to you?" He took another step closer to her. "You can come to my room tonight and we'll brainstorm some new ideas. I'll order dinner and-"

"I don't think so," she cut him off.

"And why not Blondie?" he asked.

"My name is Lilah," she corrected him. "And I don't think it would be appropriate for me to go to your hotel room, especially considering the way things went last night."

"I thought things went pretty well," he smirked.

"We can talk, in the _well lit_, _highly public_ restaurant attached to the hotel," she suggested, making sure to keep her tone stern.

"How about the hotel bar?" he compromised.

"And you'll keep your hands to yourself?" she asked.

"Of course," he put his hands up.

There was a glint in his green eyes that made Lilah think back to the night before. She could practically feel his lips against hers, his hands on her waist.

She shook her head, trying to sweep the thoughts away, "Fine."

* * *

><p><em>6 P.M.<em>

Emme searched through her station for the seam ripper she _knew_ she'd just used a few minutes earlier. Andy always made fun of her for her innate ability to lose things. She could put something down and forget where it was in a matter of seconds.

"What are you looking for?"

She glared when she heard Randy's amused voice coming toward her. "Don't you dare make fun of me."

"I didn't," Randy reached the table, offering her a smile. "Maybe I just wanna help."

"Do you know what a seam ripper looks like?" she asked.

"Not a clue," he answered. "But it sounds violent."

"Then you can't help," she laughed, giving up for a few seconds. "Did you come to pick up your trunks?"

"And to see your lovely face," he added.

"Save it for Andy," she laughed, finding the three pairs of trunks he'd asked her to make for him. She picked up another set, "Can you take these to Ted for me?"

Randy frowned, "Is he still bothering you?"

Ted DiBiase Jr. was a major thorn in Emerson's side. He was the type of person that seemed to think he was God's gift to the world and he wanted everyone else to feel the same way. Randy could be that way at times but he was still a nice person at his core, at least he was to Emerson. Ted was not. When Emerson first started travelling with the company, Ted was one of the first people she met. He immediately rubbed her the wrong way, telling her that she was 'pretty for a fat girl'. She chose not to complain to anyone, not wanting to rock the boat when she was just starting out, and instead, she made sure to avoid him whenever possible. Then, suddenly he started going out of his way to see her. He was nice to her, buying her coffee, offering her rides from the hotel to the arena. He would come to her station and flirt with her almost every show. Finally after a few weeks, he asked her out and she said yes. Their plan was to meet up at a restaurant near their hotel. When she got there, there was a note at the table for her. When she sat down to read it, she heard snickering behind her. She turned to see Ted and his best friend, Cody Runnels near the door. The letter explained that the whole thing had been a bet. Cody had bet that Emme wasn't dumb enough to think Ted actually liked her and Ted bet that he could get her wrapped around his finger. Emme was hurt and angry beyond belief. The next day, she'd told some of the close friends she'd made backstage, Randy included, about what happened and Randy took a group of guys to have a talk with Ted and make him apologize. He did but the damage was done. Emerson was humiliated. It took her quite some time to recover from the embarrassment. Though he wouldn't dare do it in front of any of the other guys, Ted still liked to make snarky comments toward her when he got the chance. Andy, Cass, and Lilah had all individually threatened him with acts of violence but he obviously wasn't worried.

"Em, is he still bothering you?' Randy repeated.

"It's not a big deal," Emme shrugged. "I just don't feel like going into the men's locker room at the moment. I figured you owe me since I slaved over your trunks for a whole hour yesterday."

"If I find out that little prick is-"

"I'm _fine_," she cut him off. "But I appreciate the concern."

Randy begrudgingly let it go, sitting down on one of her chairs, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," she said, resuming the search for her seam ripper. She quickly found it under a piece of fabric.

"Has Andy said anything to you about me?" he asked, looking uncharacteristically sheepish.

"What is with everyone wanting me to betray my best friend's trust today?" she laughed.

Randy looked confused and she waved it off, "Never mind…I'm surprised you're coming to me. Since when do you need help with women?"

"I'm not asking for help," he corrected. "It's just that..sometimes I can't really tell where Andy's head is at. She's obviously attracted to me, I'm definitely attracted to her but…I don't know where to take it."

"She likes you," Emme assured him. "A _lot_. She always has."

Randy smiled, the sheepish look beginning to fade.

"_But_..She isn't sure if she should take you seriously," Emerson added.

"What? Why not?"

"Because you two have been flirting with each other for years," Emerson rolled her eyes. "She thinks that if you really liked her, you would have tried sooner."

"The timing just didn't work," Randy shrugged. "I was always with some-"

"Bimbo," Emerson finished his sentence.

"Not what I was going to say,' he pointed.

"Maybe not but it's the truth," she laughed. "Andy isn't sure if she's really your type."

"She's _anybody's_ type, look at her," Randy threw his hands up.

"I don't mean physically dummy," she laughed, tapping the side of his head. 'She knows she's hot. But you tend to date women who are a bit more…"

She searched for the nicest possible word, "_Vacant_."

"You mean _stupid_," Randy smirked.

"Precisely," she pointed. "She's a lot of things but she's not stupid."

"It's not like I seek out the dumb ones it just happens," Randy shrugged.

Emerson rolled her eyes.

"Okay, fine, maybe it's sort of a conscious decision. That's beside the point. I _know_ she's different. I _like_ that."

"Good," Emerson smiled. "You might wanna talk to her about this and not me."

"I will, but I have one more question," he said.

She waited for him to ask.

"Does she still have feelings for Phil?"

A week ago, Emerson would have felt confident that she could answer any question another person could possibly have about her best friend but now, at least where Phil was concerned, she wasn't sure.

She gave Randy an apologetic smile and shrugged, "That's a question for Andy, not me."

* * *

><p>"Well hello Mr. Michaels."<p>

Shawn looked up from the plate he was loading with fruit when he heard her voice. Lilah walked up to him, smiling, with her own empty plate.

"Hey there," he smiled at her. "How's my favorite writer?"

"Tired," she admitted. "And I'm beginning to understand why Stephanie's always hiding from Michael."

"He is an interesting young man," Shawn laughed. "So, did you take my advice yesterday and set Mark straight?"

"I did," she nodded, scooping a few pieces of cantaloupe onto her plate.

Shawn smiled. He knew Lilah had it in her. "How'd it go?"

She let out a strange laugh, shaking her head, "His response was..Unexpected."

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"I don't really know," she waved dismissively. "Anyway, a little birdie told me that you might be considering one more match."

Shawn rolled his eyes. He knew who that little birdie was and she happened to be married to his best friend. Stephanie had been pitching ideas to him for months, trying to come up with something to entice him to lace up his boots for a limited run. Thus far, he'd been able to resist, though it was difficult.

"I'm not sure that's gonna happen," he sighed. "Steph's just having trouble accepting it."

"I can see why," Lilah said.

"Oh yeah?" he smirked.

"Of course," she nodded. "Come on, Shawn. You know what an asset you are. You're _amazing_. Having you back on TV would be…I can't even think of a word that would accurately capture how great it would be. Not that having you as a booker isn't wonderful but…I would definitely love to see the showstopper back on camera. Even if you weren't in the ring."

"You like this old face that much?" he smirked.

"I do," she laughed as they continued down the food line.

"Well thank you," he smiled, feeling genuinely flattered. People told him things like that all the time but sometimes hearing it from certain people just felt…_better_. "I really appreciate you saying that."

"Anytime," she smiled.

They both heard the sound of heels clicking very fast and Shawn looked to his right, spotting Stephanie coming toward them, "Have either of you seen Michael?"

"Not I," Shawn shook his head.

"I saw him a few minutes ago," Lilah said. "Why?"

"He's got my Blackberry. I tried to use Hunter's phone to call it but he's not answering. That little-"

"I'll find him," Lilah cut her off. "Calm down."

"Thank you Lilah," Stephanie's expression softened. "When you find him, fire him."

"No," Lilah insisted. "You are not firing this one. Not yet."

"Why-"

"No," Lilah cut her off, handing over her plate of fruit. "Hold this. I'll go get your damn phone."

Lilah turned, walking away.

"Thank you," Stephanie called after her.

Shawn looked over at his friend, "You know, we got really lucky with that one."

Stephanie sighed, eating a strawberry, "I know."

* * *

><p>Phil leaned against a stack of equipment trunks, watching the monitors backstage. Beth and Gail had just finished their match with Beth planting the smaller woman with the Glam Slam. The bell rang and as Beth's music played, she got up, roughly grabbing Gail by the hair.<p>

"What is she doing?' Booker T asked. "This match is over. She won."

"I agree Book, enough is enough," Josh Matthews added.

Beth lifted Gail up and executed another Glam Slam. Gail sold it well, going limp after the impact.

The referee yelled at Beth as she got up, grabbing at Gail again. She argued with him in the middle of the ring and then the crowd started to go wild.

"What's going on?" Michael Cole asked.

The director switched to a shot of the crowd and a shock of red hair could be spotted weaving through the throngs of fans.

'That's Adrienne Nixon!" Josh exclaimed.

"We haven't seen her in a year," Michael Cole dutifully reminded the fans at home.

Andy jumped the security barricade and when Beth saw her, her eyes went wide. She slid out of the ring quickly, running up the ramp. Andy slid into the ring, glaring up the ramp as Beth backed away.

"She looks like she saw a ghost," Booker laughed.

"Beth Phoenix is the reason Andy's been gone for so long, she broke her leg in their last match," Michael explained.

"Well Andy's _back_ and it looks to me like she's ready for some payback," Booker said.

Andy knelt down, helping the referee tend to Gail who was beginning to stir on the canvas. The show went to commercial just as she turned her gaze back up the ramp at Beth.

Phil felt a smile touch his face. Not many women in the business could be so effective without saying anything. Andy had been called the next Trish Stratus but Phil didn't think it was a fair comparison. In his mind, Andy was better. She helped Gail out of the ring and the two walked up the ramp with Gail selling her grogginess, allowing Andy to drape one of her arms over her shoulders and guide her backstage. Once they were through the curtain, Gail started to walk normally. She smiled, turning and waiting for Andy who had stopped for some reason. When Andy came through the curtain she was smiling from ear to ear.

"Nice work Nixon."

Phil turned when he heard Randy's voice behind him. Randy walked by Phil and Gail and Andy's smile seemed to grow wider.

"Everything okay Phil?" Stu Bennett, Phil's opponent in the next match of the night, walked toward him.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Phil nodded. "Can I ask you something?"

Stu nodded.

"Is there something going on with those two?" Phil nodded in the direction of Randy and his ex.

"Why do you want to know?" Stu frowned.

Phil shrugged, "I'm just curious."

He really didn't have a good reason for his question. It just seemed that whenever he saw her, Randy wasn't far away.

Stu didn't seem to believe him, "Listen, Phil you and I are friendly and I feel that I should be completely honest with you. Adrienne is a very good friend of mine. She's a great girl and I don't want to see her get hurt."

"Why exactly are you telling me this?" Phil said, feeling defensive.

"Because you hurt her in the past," Stu explained. "I wasn't around then and I don't know what happened. I'm not the type to tell you that I'll kill you if you hurt her or anything like that but…I care for her and I'd be remiss if I didn't say something."

"Well you're in luck," Phil smirked. "I can't even get her to _look_ at me so the chances of me hurting her are pretty slim."

"Now don't get defensive," Stu advised. "It sounds to me like you weren't exactly forced into the position you're in."

Phil almost laughed. He'd always liked Stu. He was remarkably diplomatic and straight forward regardless of the circumstances. He said what was on his mind but did it without seeming like an ass. Something that Phil himself wasn't always good at.

"Message received,' Phil ran a hand over his hair. "Can we focus on our match now?"

* * *

><p>"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to Smackdown, we're standing by with our backstage colleague Cassandra who is currently outside of Edge's locker room."<p>

Cass wished Michael wouldn't talk so loudly when she had an in-ear monitor lodged into her ear. She seemed to end every show with a bit of a headache.

The door opened and Adam walked out, towering over her as usual.

"Fancy meeting you here," he smiled down at her.

Cass smiled, "Edge, you are the _only_ Superstar we haven't heard from since the announcement on Monday that your WWE Championship and Randy Orton's World Heavyweight Championship will be _unified_ this Saturday at Night of Champions in a Fatal Four Way match. Are you worried about what might happen Saturday night?"

"Cass, you know me better than that," Adam gave her a patented cocky smile as he hefted his belt up onto his shoulder. "CM Punk, Undertaker, Randy Orton, my opponents for Saturday night…I've beaten them all before and I'm happy to do it again. There is no way I walk out Saturday night without this championship."

"It's great to be confident Edge but…how can you be so sure?" Cassandra asked. "You've beaten them all but..they've beaten you before too."

"You're right, they have," he nodded, stepping closer to her. "But I know I'll win because I want this more than them and I will do _whatever_ I have to do to keep it."

Adam was staring with such intensity that Cass wasn't quite sure what to say after that. Fortunately, the director informed her through her ear piece that they'd cut to commercial.

Once the camera operator put the camera down Adam relaxed, an easy smile finding its way onto his face, "You okay Cass?"

She nodded, feeling a little flustered. She laughed, "You know how I get when you go all Edge on me."

He smirked, "You always have liked him more than me."

The crew members wandered off to shoot something else and Cass shrugged, "It's the trench coats…Seems your cousin has the same weakness."

Adam frowned, looking confused, "What?"

Cass's mouth dropped open and she covered it quickly with her hand.

"Cass.." Adam pulled her hand away from her mouth.

"Oh God, she didn't tell you," Cass was mortified. Lilah was going to kill her.

"Tell me what?" he asked, still holding her hand.

"I can't be held responsible for this," Cassandra shook her head. "She tells you everything else. I figured she would have told you."

"_Cassandra_," he looked into her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Lilah might, possibly have made out with Mark," she winced.

"Mark _who_?" Adam stared.

"Callaway," she answered.

"No way," Adam shook his head. "That's not possible."

"Oh it's possible," Cass corrected him.

"Are you sure?" Adam asked.

She nodded, "It's not a big deal though. She said she didn't like it and she told him so. She swears it'll never happen again."

"Good," Adam said, though he still seemed bothered. "I made a deal with Lilah before she started here. She swore she wouldn't get involved with anyone in the business."

"Why would you make her agree to that?" she asked.

"Why do you think?" he laughed.

Cass looked down at their hands and back up to him, "Some of the best people I've ever met are in this business."

He looked at their hands as well, slowly sliding his away from hers, "I just don't want her to get hurt. Especially not by someone she's gonna have to see every day."

Cass crossed her arms over her chest, feeling very awkward once again.

"I'm gonna go have a talk with my cousin," he said. "I'll see you later."

* * *

><p><em>11:00 P.M.<em>

"My dad says hi," Andy said as she hung up her cell phone, tossing it aside.

"As does mine," Emerson laughed. She'd gotten off the phone with her own father a few minutes before Andy. "How's Ty? Still upset?"

"He's better," Andy answered. "I'm gonna fly him in for a few days soon I just wanted to get used to traveling again before I brought him with."

"He understands, he just misses you," Emerson said, putting an arm around her best friend. Her phone buzzed and she picked it up quickly.

"Who's that?" Andy smirked.

"Definitely not what you think," Emme laughed. "I'm starving. You hungry?"

"I could eat," Adrienne shrugged. "What do you want?"

"I saw a Chinese place on the way to the arena that said they were open late. You down?" Emme asked.

"For Chinese? Have we met?" Andy laughed. "Of course I'm down."

"You want the usual?"

"Yes ma'am," Andy smiled. "You wanna just go eat there?"

"No, I'll just go pick it up," Emerson waved, getting up and grabbing her purse and keys to their rental car. "I'll call when I'm on my way back."

"See ya," Andy waved. Emerson walked out quickly and Andy watched the door for a few seconds, noting that she seemed to be in a bit of a rush. She shrugged it off, turning her attention to the TV. It was probably nothing. They both loved Chinese food more than any normal person should so maybe she was just really hungry.

She flipped through the channels until she found a rerun of Archer and leaned back against her pillow.

She heard the keycard in the door and laughed as it opened, "Wow that place must be _fast_."

She looked over at the door and felt her face get hot when she realized it wasn't Emerson coming back for something. It was Phil.

She got off of the bed angrily, "What the _hell_ are you doing?"

"Don't be mad," he put his hands up.

"Don't be mad?' she stared. "Are you kidding me? What are you doing in here? Did Emme give you her key?"

Phil ran a nervous hand over his hair as he nodded, "Yeah she did. I asked for her help. I didn't know how else to get you to talk to me."

"Emerson!" Andy stormed toward the door. If she knew her best friend, she wasn't far outside the door.

"Andy please," he grabbed her hand, turning her to face him. "I'm sorry, okay? You _have_ to know that."

"And _why_ should I know that?" she asked, wrenching her hand out of his grasp. "You left me without the _slightest_ warning. You _never_ tried to say sorry before."

"I didn't know how," he admitted, looking down at the floor and then back to her. "I know that's not the best reason but it's the truth."

"And why should I care?" she laughed, feeling a ball of bitterness and anger threatening to clog her throat.

"Andy…you can't possibly understand why I did what I did but-"

"You're right, I can't," she shook her head. "I loved you. And you just threw it away."

She could hear her voice cracking and she cleared her throat, refusing to let her emotions overcome her. She took a deep breath, "I don't care why you did it anymore. I want you to leave."

He sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets, "I guess we can talk later."

She shook her head, "I'd rather not."

* * *

><p>"Here you go sir," the bartender wiped the space in front of Mark and then set down his beer. "You wanna start a tab?"<p>

"Sure," Mark handed him his credit card.

The bartender started to turn away but something near the door caught his eye and he let out a low whistle. Mark turned his head, smiling when he saw Lilah. She breezed in like she owned the place and the bartender wasn't the only man who took notice. She looked great, wearing a pair of black shorts and a long sleeved black and white striped shirt with royal blue heels. She spotted him and started making her way to his seat at the bar.

"Glad you could make it Blondie," he said as she set her purse down and sat on the stool beside him.

"_Lilah_, Mr. Callaway, not Blondie," she corrected.

"_Mark_," he corrected her.

"Fine, Mark," she sighed. "Let's get right to it," she crossed her legs, immediately impairing Mark's ability to focus on the task at hand.

She noticed his attention shift and she cleared her throat, "You do realize this counts as sexual harassment, don't you?"

"You're right, I'm sorry," he looked up from her legs, focusing on her face.

"I have an idea that I think is much better than what I originally pitched," she explained.

"Let's hear it," he leaned against the bar. Her face seemed to light up when she started to discuss her work. He liked that.

"You and Alberto Del Rio," she smiled.

It was already better than the original idea.

"It's already leaked that you're coming back and I was up all night scouring the internet, no one is expecting an angle with the two of you," Lilah explained. "Apparently most people are under the impression that we're gonna start something with you and either Hunter or Shawn."

Mark nodded, thoughtfully. He wasn't one to look at internet reporting but he did remember a fan asking him in the airport if he and Shawn were really having another Wrestlemania match.

"So my plan is that you make your return this weekend at Night of Champions," Lilah said. "We do the typical Taker thing, gongs, druids, all of that. You get to the ring and before you can say a word, Alberto comes out. He cuts a promo calling you a relic, outdated, a thing of the past. Maybe he even calls you out for only being on the road a few months a year the past few years. I want it to get as real as we can. Then, you set about proving him wrong."

When she was done, she smiled at him hopefully.

Mark didn't necessarily appreciate being called out for his age or his schedule but he knew a good idea when he heard it.

"I like it," he assured her. "A lot actually. Let's do it."

"Really?" she smiled, perking up even more if it was possible. "I was thinking of this originally but Adam didn't think it would work."

"You shouldn't listen to your cousin," Mark laughed. "I have to admit, I regret telling Stephanie you weren't ready."

Her smile fell and her eyebrows rose simultaneously, "You went to Stephanie?"

"Calm down Blondie, it was before you came to try and set me straight last night," he smirked. "I was frustrated and irritable. I'll call her right now and take it back if you want."

"No thank you," she shook her head. "I think I'm gonna call it a night. I'll let Steph know that we've got a plan tomorrow."

"Why don't you stay? Have a celebratory drink with me?" he asked, raising his beer. He waved the bartender over, "I'll buy."

He kept his eyes on her until she sighed, rolling her eyes, "One drink. And only because I've needed one all day."

"Rough day after you spent all night looking up things about me on the internet?" he asked, drinking some of his beer.

"Funny, funny," she glared.

"What can I get you miss?" the bartender asked.

Lilah looked down at the drink menu in front of her, thinking for a few moments before answering, "The lavender pear martini sounds good."

"Great choice," the bartender winked at her before walking away to make her drink.

"Lavender pear?" Mark smirked. "I don't think I've ever heard a drink sound so frilly."

"It sounds nice," she said defensively.

"Sounds weak," he replied. "Not a surprise though, you look like a light weight."

"I will have you know that my first sip of alcohol was a concoction my grandfather made from god knows what that has put men just as big as you down for hours. I drank a straight glass and never turned back. I could drink you under the table ten times over."

"I doubt that sweetheart," he laughed.

"Oh really?" she smirked. The bartender came back with her martini and she smiled at him, "Would you be a dear and bring us two double shots of Johnnie Walker blue and keep them coming? Thanks so much."

The bartender looked a little surprised but he dutifully walked off to fetch the shots.

"You sure you wanna go down this road Lilah?" he asked. "It could end with you waking up in my room tomorrow morning."

She smiled, taking a sip of her martini, "I doubt that sweetheart."

* * *

><p>Emme paced back and forth, rubbing her hands together. She wasn't very religious but for a brief moment she found herself considering praying that her friend forgave her for what she'd just done. She'd heard Andy yell her name but she hadn't tried to break the door down because she knew Andy's tone. It wasn't fear. It was pure, unadulterated anger. Emme knew she was taking a risk by putting her neck on the line for Phil but for some reason, it just felt like the right thing to do. She didn't know him very well but people she trusted knew him and spoke of him in high regard. He just didn't seem like the type of person who would up and leave without a reason. Emme couldn't help but think that there was more to the story.<p>

The door opened and Phil walked out looking defeated. He exhaled deeply, scratching a spot behind his ear and giving her a wry smile, "I don't know if I'd go in right away. She's not exactly thrilled with either one of us."

"I thought that might happen," Emme winced. "Did you say what you had to say?"

"Not exactly," he shrugged. "But I really appreciate your help. I apologize for whatever you endure once you go back in there."

She shrugged, "I made my bed."

"You're not the only one," he shrugged. "Listen, I'm gonna head back to my room so…have a good night."

"Thanks, you too," she waved as he turned to leave. She watched him walk toward the elevator, noting how low his shoulders had sagged. Would he really seem so bothered if he hadn't cared about Andy?

"Phil?" she followed him.

He pressed the button and then turned, waiting.

"Why _did _you leave her that way?" she asked.

The wry smile returned and he shrugged, "It doesn't matter to her…It shouldn't matter to anyone else."

"It matters to me," she insisted. "I'm gonna get killed for helping you."

He shrugged again, "We do stupid things for the people we love."

* * *

><p>"Thank you Jacob," Lilah smiled at the bartender as be brought her another drink.<p>

"I give, Blondie," Mark smiled over at her. "I was wrong. You can drink like you have a hollow leg."

"It's about time you admit it," she smiled triumphantly. She and Mark were still doing shots of Johnnie Walker and in between, just to be a showoff, she'd started drinking Chrysanthemums; a combination of dry vermouth, Benedictine, and absinthe. She was _just barely_ noticing her words start to slur.

He picked up her drink, downing some and then making a face, "That's disgusting."

"It's an acquired taste," she shrugged.

She shifted in her seat and her foot inadvertently rubbed against Mark's leg. He smiled over at her, "Careful there Georgia. Don't start something you're not ready to finish."

She quickly moved her foot away, glaring at him, "Why do you have such trouble calling me by my name? It's _Lilah_. _Liiilah_."

"I know what it is," Mark responded. "But if you wanna hear me say it like that, we should probably take this conversation somewhere more private."

Lilah thought back to Andy calling her out on her Undertaker crush as a teen. It was true. She'd always thought there was something incredibly sexy about him. He wasn't really her type at all but there'd always been something about him that she was drawn to.

She picked up her drink, finishing it and shaking her head, "I think I should be going."

"You're blushing," he pointed out.

"I'm tipsy," she went to pull her wallet out of her purse but he placed his hand over hers, guiding the wallet back inside.

"It's on me," he assured her.

"Okay," she said, waving to the bartender. "You and Jacob have a good night."


	7. Chapter 6

**Same disclaimer as always, I own the OCs and that is all. Read, Enjoy, and Review!  
><strong>

**Chapter 6…**

_Friday…7 A.M._

Cassandra looked over at Andy, who had her nose buried in a book and a pair of purple SkullCandy headphones covering her ears. She'd come to Cass's room the night before, nearly in tears, wanting to know if she knew anything about what Emme and Phil had done. Cass had no idea what she was talking about and when Andy explained it, she was completely surprised. Andy spent the night in her room, watching a Golden Girls marathon. Now they were in the airport and her jaw was clenched so tightly Cassandra thought it might snap. She'd barely spoken a word all morning and it was beginning to drive her crazy. Lilah and Emerson had gone to get breakfast and Andy refused to join them, not wanting to be around her best friend. Cass stayed behind to try and talk to her. Thus far, she'd been pretty unsuccessful.  
>"Andy," Cass scooted closer to her friend.<p>

* * *

><p>Emerson obviously felt horrible but Andy wouldn't even look at her that morning. Cass didn't necessarily understand why Emerson did what she did but she must have thought she was helping.<br>"I know what you're gonna say," Andy kept her eyes on her book. "I don't wanna hear it."  
>"<em>Adrienne<em>," Cass tried to sound stern.  
>Andy didn't say anything, turning a page. Cassandra loved her dearly but when she was angry she could be a little ridiculous. The thing she failed to realize was that Cass didn't give up as easily as the other girls.<br>Cass put her hand over the book, "_Adrienne Elise_…I could do this all day."  
>Andy finally looked over at her, pulling off her headphones, "What?"<br>"I let you be angry last night because you had a right to be," Cass took the book out of her hands. "Emme shouldn't have blindsided you, I get that. But she feels terrible. She thought she was doing something good."  
>"Well she wasn't."<br>"But she was _trying_ to," Cass insisted. "Think about it…Would you do something stupid if you thought it was best for her?"  
>"I would do just about anything for her," Andy said. "But I would never set a trap for her like that."<br>"Yes you would, and you know it," Cass gave her a look. "Andy, all we want is for you to be happy and she thought it would help for you to talk to Phil. It's not that outlandish of an idea, she just went about it the wrong way."  
>"I don't need to talk to him," Andy insisted. "And I don't want to talk about this anymore."<p>

"Just think about it, please," the brunette advised. "Don't turn your anger with him into anger with her."

Andy looked away, a thoughtful expression on her face, "I'll try."

* * *

><p><em>Later…<em>

"I love my children," Stephanie said as she flipped through a rack of dresses in varying shades of pink. "But they cost a small fortune at birthday time."

"Nobody told you and Hunter to have all your children in the same month," Lilah laughed, picking up a pair of jeans with purple flowers embroidered on the pockets. She couldn't understand kids' clothes nowadays. It was nearly impossible to find a plain pair of jeans. Everything was bedazzled, flowered, or had Miley Cyrus' face plastered on it.

"Hey, they're not all in July, there's one in August," Stephanie pointed. She picked out a few dresses, draping them over her forearm.

Lilah laughed, rolling her eyes.

"_Anyway_, Hunter told me Adam wants me to set him up on a blind date," Stephanie smiled.

Lilah frowned. She hadn't heard anything about Adam dating at all in a while. He definitely hadn't mentioned to her that he wanted Stephanie's help. He hated blind dates.

"_Adam_ said he wanted to be set up?" Lilah asked.

Stephanie nodded, "That's what Hunter says."

Stephanie seemed to noticed Lilah's confused look and she smiled sweetly, "Honey, I love Cass as much as the next guy but you know you have to get over the idea that he's gonna go back to her."

"I know that isn't gonna happen," Lilah said defensively. She'd been accused by more than one person of holding out hope that Adam and Cass would realize they were meant for each other. She wasn't stupid. She understood things were irreparably broken between Adam and Cass. Knowing didn't mean she had to like it. "I'm just confused; I didn't know Adam was looking."

"I think it's about time," Stephanie said. "I already called my friend Laurel. She lives in Pennsylvania. I'm gonna get them together for lunch when we go to Pittsburgh next week. I'll be shocked if he doesn't like her."

"Yeah," Lilah nodded, not exactly convinced. "I'm sure he will."

* * *

><p>"And here we are," Randy pulled into a parking space in front of the hotel. He and Andy were just getting back from the gym where he'd spent more time watching her than working out. Fortunately, she didn't seem to mind.<p>

"Well that was fun," she said as they got out of the car. "You got to stare at my ass for a whole hour."

"That was fun," Randy smirked.

He was really enjoying spending time with her. When they weren't together, they were texting each other. He couldn't seem to go very long without thinking about her lately. He knew he liked her before but the more he was around her; the more he wondered where things could go. His talk with Emme had helped a little but there was still something he needed to know.

"So I have a question for you," Randy said.

"Ask away," she smiled, leaning against the trunk.

"Promise you wont get mad," he smiled.

"I never make that promise," she laughed. "But I'll try not to. What is it?"

"Do you still have any feelings for Phil?"

She frowned, caught off guard by his question.

"You're not supposed to get mad," he pointed.

She smiled, shaking her head, "I'm not mad. Just surprised. And no, I don't have any feelings left for Phil."

"You're sure about that?" he asked, taking a step closer to her, placing his hand on the trunk beside her.

"Positive," she nodded. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I like you," he admitted. "But my ego won't allow me to try and take things any further if you're still in love with your ex-husband."

"Technically he's not my ex-husband," she smirked. "Our marriage was annulled so it's like it never existed…and for the record, I like you too. Although, I'm fairly certain you already knew that."

"I may have had some idea," he shrugged. "Now that we've established that, I guess the next appropriate step would be asking you out so…Andy, would you like to go to dinner with me tonight?"

She crossed her arms over her chest, studying him, "I don't know…I'm not so sure this is a good idea."

"Why wouldn't it be?" he laughed. "We both like each other. We both like food. It's just dinner, not a marriage proposal."

She winced, "Smooth word choice, Orton."

"What do you do to me woman?' he laughed. "You mess with my charisma."

"I don't think anyone can do that," she smiled. "We should probably head inside."

"We should," he put his other hand on her other side, leaving very little space between them. "But you never answered my question."

"What was it again?" she teased.

"Dinner, tonight," he reminded her.

She smiled like a schoolgirl, her cheeks beginning to flush. He knew he had her.

"Okay," she agreed. "Dinner, tonight."

* * *

><p><em>7:30 P.M.<em>

"Does this look okay?"

Cass looked up from her magazine as Adrienne rushed out of the bathroom. She'd done and re-done her hair about 4 times since after trying on 5 different dresses before picking a winner. Cass was not accustom to this nervous side of her friend. It was cute. This time, she'd taken the pins out from her last failed updo and brushed out her curls, leaving them flowing softly past her shoulders.

"Very Rita Hayworth," Cass gave her thumbs up. "You look marvelous."

"And you're sure about the dress?" Andy looked at herself in the full length mirror near the door, smoothing the purple dress over her hips.

"The dress is perfect," Cass assured her. "When he sees you, he'll wanna skip dinner and head back upstairs."

"You didn't place another bet on me did you?" Andy smirked.

Cass smiled and shrugged.

Andy rolled her eyes, pulling a tube of mascara out of her small black clutch and touching up her lashes.

"I can't believe you're so nervous," Cass shook her head.

Andy turned to her, smiling, "I really like him. Is that weird?"

"No, why would it be weird?" Cass asked. "You're both young, single, good looking. It would be weird if you didn't like him."

Andy walked over and sat next to Cassandra on the bed, leaning against the headboard.

"So…When are you gonna talk to Emme?" Cass asked, hoping her excitement over her date with Randy had diminished some of her anger.

"In the morning," Andy sighed. "I'm still a little mad but…It's Emme. I can't be angry with her for too long."

"Good," Cass smiled, resting her head on Andy's shoulder. "I'm gonna tell you something and I don't want you to get mad."

"Why is everyone trying to make me mad today?" she laughed.

"I'm not," the brunette laughed. "I just want you to know, whatever happened with Phil, doesn't matter anymore. You're a different person. You don't need to dwell on whatever he did because you got through life without him just fine."

Andy rested her head atop her friend's, "Thanks Cass. It's so rare that I can trust you to be the one who isn't meddling."

Cass sighed, "I know. It feels very strange."

The door opened and Lilah walked into the room. Normally Lilah seemed to breeze into a room like she was floating on air. This time, she was practically dragging her feet as she came in, dropping her purse on the couch and plopping down.

"You okay Lilah?" Andy asked, looking over at the clock on the nightstand.

"I'm fine," Lilah sighed unconvincingly.

"I'll take care of it," Cass whispered, patting Andy on the shoulder. "Go, you're gonna be late for your date."

"Okay," Andy got up, she walked over and patting Lilah on the shoulder, "You better tell me what's up later."

"Have a good night," Lilah called over her shoulder as Andy walked out, closing the door quietly behind her.

"What's up?" Cass walked over to the couch.

"It's just been a very odd day for me," Lilah answered. "I keep thinking about Mark and then Steph tells me she's setting Adam up with some college friend of hers and-"

"Wait, what?" Cassandra cut her off.

Lilah quickly seemed to regret what she'd said. She sighed deeply, looking up at the ceiling, "Hunter told Stephanie that Adam wants her to hook him up with someone.'

Cass felt herself getting very annoyed, very quickly. Unfortunately, there wasn't much she could do to stop it once it started, "That doesn't make sense, Adam hates blind dates."

"I know but she's already set it up," Lilah shrugged. "He must have agreed to it."

"_Why_ would he agree to it?" Cass asked. "He doesn't need to be set up."

"I know honey," Lilah said in her familiar, calming tone. "Calm down, your face is getting red."

Cass took a deep breath and crossed her arms over her chest, looking away. She knew she didn't have much of a right to be bothered but truthfully, she didn't like the idea of Adam going on any date, blind or not.

Lilah placed a hand on her arm and she turned to face her best friend, "He has to make himself happy."

Cass's jaw clenched as she turned away again, staring out the window.

* * *

><p>Andy got to the hotel lobby a few minutes early. She looked around but didn't see Randy so she pulled a compact out of her clutch, checking her makeup again, trying her best to ignore the butterflies flitting around in her stomach. She'd never felt nervous before a date before. Randy had a strange effect on her; a good kind of strange. She moved the mirror to the side a little to check her hair and jumped when she saw a pair of hazel eyes behind her.<p>

"_Jesus_, Phil," she turned around, annoyed.

"I'm sorry," he put his hands up. "I was just about to tap you on the shoulder."

She rolled her eyes, "_Wonderful_. What do you want?"

"I wanna talk to you," he sighed. "I happened to see you walking by."

"You decided against sneaking into my room in the middle of the night again?" she crossed her arms.

"I'm sorry about that," he put his hands in his pockets.

"Seems like you're sorry about a lot of things all of a sudden," she put the compact back in her purse. "Unfortunately for you, I don't really care."

"Andy-"

"Phil, you haven't tried to talk to me in years," she reminded him. "_Years_. Why don't you just go back to that?"

She turned around the walk away, hoping he got the hint and left her alone.

"That's great Andy, just walk away…You know, you wouldn't even be where you are right now if I hadn't done what I did!"

* * *

><p>The second the words left his mouth, Phil felt as if time stopped. He regretted every word, every syllable. Andy seemed to freeze as if his words physically hit her.<p>

"Andy…" he was almost afraid to apologize, to say anything really, for fear that he would mess up even more than he just did. He didn't mean to be so harsh he was just so frustrated at the way she'd been acting. He just wanted her to sit down and talk to him for _five minutes_. He didn't think that was too much to ask.

She turned around and he felt as if he'd been punched in the stomach. Her green eyes were filling with tears that she tried desperately to blink away. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.

Phil ran a hand over his hair, wishing he could travel back 30 seconds in time.

"Hey beautiful."

Phil felt himself tense when he heard the familiar sound of Randy Orton's voice. He walked up to them in a suit, looking like a throwback to his Legend Killer days.

He took one look at Andy and then turned an icy gaze on Phil, "Everything okay?"

"We were just talking," Phil shrugged.

Randy put a protective hand on Andy's back, looking down at her, "Are you alright?"

She forced a smile, nodding, "Yeah. I'm fine."

"Phil, can I talk to you alone for a second?" Randy asked, gesturing toward the bank of elevators not far away.

Phil knew he probably wasn't going to let it go so he led the way, turning when they were out of Andy's earshot. The two men weren't exactly the best of friends but they got along relatively well. They had respect for each other's talent. They'd always worked well together and trusted each other in the ring. They definitely had a different style backstage. Randy was more of a political guy. He was in good with Stephanie, Hunter, and Vince and he used that to his advantage. Phil just loved to do his job. He was nice to people who were nice to him and pretty much shrugged off anyone who didn't like him. He just wasn't born with the ass-kissing bone that some other guys were. Sometimes he wished he had been. His career would have gone smoother that way.

"You wanna tell me what happened over there?' Randy asked.

"I think that's between me and Andy," Phil shrugged. "We were just having a conversation."

"A conversation that made her start crying?" Randy raised a brow.

"Like I said, it's between me and her," Phil shrugged. He didn't know why he was being so defensive with Randy. Maybe he just didn't like Randy thinking he was entitled to know everything.

Randy sighed, "Listen, Phil, I don't have any problems with you and I don't want to. Just be aware that if you hurt her in any way, that will change."

Before Phil could respond, Randy had turned, walking back toward Andy.

Her eyes met Phil's for a brief moment before she turned away quickly, leaving Phil to wonder if he could ever make things right.

* * *

><p>Stu knocked on the door to Cassandra and Lilah's room.<p>

"Just a minute!"

He heard footsteps coming toward the door and Lilah opened the door, smiling, "Hey Stu, I was just on my way out. Cass is inside."

She opened the door, waving him inside as she stepped into her shoes.

"Beware, she's in kind of a weird mood tonight," she patted him on the shoulder.

"Isn't she always?' he smirked.

"I'll see you later," she laughed.

"Have a good night," he waved, closing the door behind her. Cass came out of the bathroom surrounded by steam. Her brown waves were pulled up into a ponytail and she was tying the belt on a short white robe. The corner of her mouth lifted when she saw him.

"Hello gorgeous," he smiled.

"I didn't know you were coming," she walked over to him.

"I thought you might like to join me for dinner," he explained. "I had that autograph signing this morning and then interviews all day. I haven't actually managed to eat anything more than one of those snack sized bags of chips. I'm _famished_."

"So am I," she smirked, grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him closer to her. Before he could say anything else, she'd pulled him down into a passionate kiss.

"Cass," he said, begrudgingly pulling away from her after a few seconds. He laughed, "Is that a yes or no for dinner?"

"It's a no for dinner," she smiled, walking backward toward the bed and pulling him with her. "It's a yes for staying here."

"Cassandra," he said in a warning tone. "You know I wouldn't say no unless it was life or death."

"You wont die if you don't eat for another couple hours," she shrugged.

"And you don't die if we don't have sex for another couple hours," he laughed. Cass could be insatiable at times but she wasn't normally _so_ aggressive. "Come on, we'll go to dinner and then-"

"I don't want to go to dinner!" she exclaimed, rolling her eyes. "I don't want to go on a date. This is _just sex_, that's all it's ever been, if you're not giving me that, _what_ do I need you for?"

Stu was completely taken aback. He'd always been fine with the idea that they weren't in a real relationship but he considered them to be friends. Cass was making him out to be a sex toy.

"What's gotten into you?" he asked, concerned. Something was obviously upsetting her.

"It's none of your business," she said, sitting down on the bed, looking away. "Just..just leave."

Stu wasn't about to sit and hold her hand after the way she'd spoken to him. He was concerned for her but she obviously didn't care. She needed to cool off.

He threw up his hands, "Fine. When you come to your senses, let me know."

* * *

><p>Andy could hear Randy talking but she couldn't focus on his words. She just kept thinking about what Phil said to her. She couldn't believe that he actually had the nerve to take credit for her success. When he'd said it, she felt as if someone had punched her. She hadn't seen that coming at all.<p>

"Andy?"

She jumped when she felt Rand touch her arm. They'd reached his rental car and she didn't even remember walking outside.

"Are you listening?" he asked.

"I'm sorry Randy," Andy looked up at him. "My buzz is sort of killed for the night. Maybe we should just-"

"Don't think you're getting out of this that easy," Randy smiled. "Change of plans, no more fancy dinner. I'll call and cancel the reservation."

Andy didn't want to smile but she couldn't help it. Once she managed to focus her attention on him, things didn't seem quite as bad. She shook her head, "Then what do you wanna do?"

"There's a Dave and Buster's like 20 minutes from here. We'll take a cab, get some drinks and play stupid games."

"That doesn't seem like your type of date," she smirked.

"Then I guess you need to get to know me better, don't you?" he smiled, taking her hand.

His hand warmed hers and her anger toward Phil slowly started to drift toward the back of her mind, "We should go change then."

"Why bother?" he shrugged. "You look beautiful and I spent hours picking out this suit."

She laughed, "We're gonna stand out like sore thumbs."

Randy shrugged, "We would anyway, look at us."

A loud laugh escaped her and she covered her mouth with her hand, "You are ridiculous."

"Only sometimes," he laughed, pulling his car keys out of his pocket. "At least I made you laugh."

* * *

><p>Cass sat on the couch, absently flipping through the channels. Her shoulders were so tense it hurt to move her head and she was starting to get a terrible headache. She kept trying not to think about the look on Stu's face when she yelled at him. She didn't know what got into her. Lilah informing her of Adam's blind date had completely tanked her mood for the night. She'd been so grateful for the distraction when she saw Stu that she barely even listened to what he was saying. She just wanted to lose herself in him for a few hours. Now, she'd probably made sure that wouldn't happen for some time.<p>

She picked up her phone, finding his name. She knew that after a few days, he would probably forgive her. He was just that type of guy. He was very rational and understanding; not overly emotional.

When she and Adam were together, if she got moody, he got moody and, inevitably, they would end up fighting. No one could drive her crazy the way he did in the best and worst possible ways. Sometimes, she thought it was for the best that they weren't together anymore but when she thought about the idea of him with someone else, she felt tightness in her chest that she wished she could ignore. The truth was, their being apart was best for him, not for her. Adam had made her better. He made her happy. He made her forget the past and look to the future. And what did she do for him? Nothing. She didn't have any right to be upset about him moving on. Lilah was right; he had to make himself happy.

She took a deep breath, pressing the green call button and waiting for Stu to pick up.

* * *

><p>"I haven't spent this much money on desert in a long time," Randy laughed, holding the door open as Andy walked in. Their trip to Dave and Buster's had been a lot of fun. They ate burgers, got a bunch of free drinks, signed a few autographs and Randy let her win at just about everything. When they were on the way out, Andy suggested that they get ice cream but their cab driver told them there wasn't an open ice cream parlor nearby. Wanting to make sure she got what she wanted, Randy asked the driver to take them to the nearest 24 hour grocery store. They bought ice cream, whipped cream, cherries, nuts, plastic bowls and spoons and an ice cream scoop.<br>"Oh come on, this is gonna be fun," she laughed, setting two bowls on the table in front of the couch. She kicked off her stiletto heels, folding her legs beneath her and opening the carton of ice cream. Randy took off his shoes and draped his suit jacket over the back of the couch. He sat beside her and she smiled at him, holding up the bright pink scooper, "One scoop or two?"  
>"Just one for now," he smiled, picking up one of the bowls. "Let's take it slow."<br>"Didn't peg you for that type," she smirked, dropping a scoop of vanilla ice cream into his bowl.  
>"That only applies to my ice cream," he laughed as she put two scoops into her bowl. She popped the top off of the whipped cream and dressed her sundae, following with nuts and a cherry. She smiled over at him, "You gonna keep yours plain?"<br>"I was hoping you'd handle it for me," he held the bowl toward her.  
>She shook the whipped cream can and then covered his ice cream with it.<br>"I think that's enough," he laughed.  
>"You sure, you look like you could use a little more," she laughed, shooting some at his face.<br>"Hey!" he laughed.  
>She was overtaken by a fit of giggles and he saw the perfect opportunity to grab the can from her, spraying a huge glob on her nose. She stopped laughing, staring at him.<br>"Oh you are a dead man Orton," She tried to wrestle the can out of his hand and managed to spray more on both of them.  
>Randy leaned away from her and she straddled his lap, still reaching for the can.<br>"Okay, okay, let's call a truce," he laughed, holding the can out of her reach. "This is gonna get out of hand and I don't wanna ruin your dress."  
>"I do love this dress," she laughed as she stopped reaching for the can. She held her hand out to him, "Truce?"<br>He looked up at her, admiring how beautiful she looked with her cheeks flushed and the lamp light behind her. This had been the best date he'd been on in a very long time and he hadn't even kissed her yet. He bypassed her outstretched hand, instead placing his hand on the back of her neck and gently pulling her down to him.  
>He kissed her lips, reveling in how soft they felt against his. His hand found its way into her hair while her arms encircled his neck and their kiss deepened. Randy's other hand found the zipper on the back of her dress as if it had a mind of its own. She smiled against his lips, ending their kiss and resting her forehead against his as they both caught their breath.<p>

"Wow," she breathed, smiling at him.

"You know, I knew you would be a good kisser," he smiled back. "but…wow."

She laughed, burying her face into his shoulder. He guided her face back to his, kissing her again and she gave in for a few seconds before pulling away again, "I think maybe we should call it a night."

Randy was surprised. That was definitely not the direction he was expecting things to go.

"I like you Randy," she slid off of his lap. "I just think..maybe we shouldn't take things too far too fast."

"I can respect that," Randy nodded, though other parts of his anatomy didn't necessarily agree. He pulled a throw pillow onto his lap. "We should at least finish the ice cream though. I could use something cold."

She laughed, picking up her bowl, "Me too."


	8. Chapter 7

**All the usual disclaimers, I own my OCs and that's all. Please remember to review, it helps the writing process along. Thanks! Enjoy..  
><strong>

**Chapter 7…**

_Saturday…New York_

"I got your text," Adam rushed over to Lilah's table. "Are you okay?"

Lilah smiled up at him, a cup of coffee in her hand, "I'm fine. Have a seat."

"Lilah," Adam glared, sitting across from her. "Next time you send me a message that it's an emergency and you need to see me right away, there better be something wrong with you."

"There was," Lilah shrugged. "I was hungry. And we need to talk."

He continued to glare for a moment before taking a piece of toast from her plate, "You're right. We do need to talk."

"I ordered you an omelet. It should be here shortly," Lilah informed him.

"Thank you," he said. "So…Cass told me about you and Mark."

Lilah's mouth dropped open, then her eyes narrowed, "My best friend has a big mouth."

"She does," Adam nodded. "But I'm glad she told me. What the hell are you thinking?"

"I didn't do anything," Lilah insisted. "_He_ kissed _me_. I was barely involved."

He gave her a skeptical look.

"Adam, I could not be _less _interested," she said, drinking more of her coffee.

"I wouldn't expect you to be," Adam admitted. "You're more the suit and tie type. You need a nice lawyer or something."

Her eyebrow twitched at that but she didn't say anything. The waitress brought his omelet and a cup of coffee and he thanked her before turning his attention back to his cousin.  
>"I just want you to be careful, okay?" he said as he started to eat.<p>

"I'm always careful," she reminded him. "You've got nothing to worry about."

"Good," he nodded. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I hear you have a blind date next week," she said.

Adam rolled his eyes, "Oh God, Stephanie told you about that?"

"Of course she did," Lilah confirmed. "Why didn't _you_?"

"Because I don't even want to do it," he explained. "It was all Hunter's idea. I'm only going to get him off my back. He's worried that I haven't gotten over Cass."

"Should he be?" she asked.

His jaw clenched and he looked out the window beside them. He didn't want to have this conversation with her. He knew no matter what he said, Lilah wouldn't believe he was over Cass because she didn't want him to be. He wasn't even sure how to answer her question. People told him he should be over her. He knew he should be. Sometimes he thought he was. But other times, when he looked at her, he wasn't sure.

"I told her about your date," Lilah seemed to accept that he wasn't going to answer her question. "She seemed a little freaked out."

"_Now_ who has the big mouth?" he looked at her again.

She shrugged, "I wanted her to hear about it from me."

"Why is it any of her business?" he asked. "She is the reason we're not together anymore, remember?"

"Of course I remember," she said defensively.

"Why would it matter to her anyway?" he asked. "She's with Stu now."

"She's not exactly _with_ Stu," Lilah corrected. "They-"

"It's none of my business," he put his hands up. "I don't want to specifics. And you shouldn't be telling Cass anything about my love life. I get that she's your best friend but..I'd appreciate it if you didn't involve her in my personal matters."

"Fine, I'll try not to say anything," she said. "But you know, if you two are going to be friends, she's going to find out. You're gonna have to learn to talk to each other about these things."

Adam looked into his coffee cup, shrugging, "I will when I have to."

* * *

><p>Emerson zipped the last of the garment bags she needed to take to the arena and then started searching for the power cord for her laptop. She wished Andy was there. Whenever they roomed together, Andy always knew where Emerson put things. She'd tried sending her another apology text that morning but, as with all the others, she got no response.<p>

There was a light knock at the door and Emme stopped her search, walking over to it.

"Who is it?" she called. She hadn't been expecting anyone.

"Open the door and find out."

She smiled when she heard Andy's voice. She opened the door to find her best friend leaning against the door frame with her phone in one hand and a bag from Sprinkles Cupcakes hanging from her other arm.

"I got your message," Andy walked into the room. "And I'm willing to forgive you on one condition…"

Emme waited for an explanation.

Andy put the cupcakes down on the table and turned to her friend, "You never, ever interfere with Phil and I again. And you help me eat these cupcakes."

Emerson gave her a tight hug, "I am so sorry Andy. I was just trying to help."

"I know you were," Andy hugged back. "And I love you for that but…you cant fix what's permanently broken."

They finally finished hugging and Andy sat down on the couch, pulling the box of cupcakes out of the bag, "And believe me, we are definitely broken. You wouldn't believe what he said to me last night."

"What?" Emme took a seat beside her, pulling out a red velvet cupcake.

"He actually told me that I wouldn't be where I am if he hadn't done what he did," Andy said, looking disgusted.

Emerson was taken by surprise, "How could he say that?"

Andy shrugged, shaking her head, "I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe he had the _nerve _to take credit for my success. Like his dumping me somehow made it all happen."

"Wow..I was obviously wrong about him," Emerson shook her head. "I thought he really felt bad. He seemed so remorseful."

"Well apparently I'm not the only one he's good at fooling," Andy took a bite of her cupcake.

"Honey, I'm sorry," Emerson said again.

"Em, it's okay," Andy insisted. A smile spread across her face, "My date with Randy last night pretty much made up for it."

Emerson perked up quickly, "Tell me everything."

* * *

><p><em>Madison Square Garden…6 P.M.<em>

"That sounds great Alberto, I really like it," Lilah smiled. "Mark, what do you think?"

"Sounds good to me," Mark answered, barely taking his eyes off of Lilah long enough to acknowledge the other man. They were putting the finishing touches on their segment for Night of Champions.

"I really appreciate the opportunity," Alberto said to both Lilah and Mark.

"You earned it," Lilah smiled. "And I think this will go over really well."

"I need to go find Emerson. She has a new suit for me," Alberto placed a hand on Lilah's shoulder. "Thank you again."

Lilah smiled, "You're welcome."

When Alberto walked away, Lilah's eyes came back to Mark.

"Did you have to stare at me the entire time?" she asked.

"I wasn't staring the whole time," Mark insisted. "Part of it, absolutely, but not the whole time."

Lilah rolled her eyes.

"You know, I had a really great time with you Thursday night," he said.

"It was fun," she smiled. "And we made a new friend."

"Jacob was a good guy," Mark laughed, moving closer to her. "You know, we could have a lot more fun together."

"Mark," she said in a warning tone. He could see the blush starting to creep up her cheeks. The scent of her perfume pulled him closer and he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. She made a surprised noise at first but he felt her give in. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, parting her lips and allowing him to deepen the kiss. Her nails grazed the back of his neck and he felt himself growing tense. He backed her up against the conference room door, pressing himself against her. She moaned softly and he reached for the buttons on the front of her shirt. She placed her hands on his chest, her fists clenching his shirt for a few seconds before she started to push against him.

"Mark, stop," she broke their kiss, breathing heavily. Mark was so dizzy with want for her that he could barely hear what she said.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"We cannot do this," she said, wiping at her smudged lip gloss. "I don't do this. I cant sleep with a coworker."

"Just because you haven't done something, doesn't mean you cant," he smirked, reaching for her again.

She held him at arm's length, opening the door behind her, "I cant."

* * *

><p>"How's your knee doing?" Andy asked as she and Beth sat on equipment trunks near Emerson's station.<p>

"It's okay," Beth shrugged. "Cant wait for a break though."

"You deserve it," Andy said. "You've been working your ass off."

"I do what I can," Beth smirked.

Andy was looking forward to their match that night. Despite what happened in their last match, she'd always enjoyed working with Beth. They played off of each other well.

Beth started looking at something over Andy's shoulder.

"What?" Andy asked.

"I think somebody wants to talk to you," Beth smiled.

Andy turned, seeing Randy leaning against a wall nearby. He raised his hand when he saw that he had her attention.

"I'm gonna go get dressed," Beth smiled, hopping off of the trunk. "I'll see you later."

Andy waved at Beth as she left and Randy made his way over. He looked amazing, already dressed for the show in his wrestling trunks, boots, and an Apex Predator t-shirt.

"Hello there," she smiled.

"Hi," he stood in front of her. "Did I interrupt?"

"No, we were just chatting," Andy answered. "We've got the match down."

"I'm looking forward to seeing it," he said.

"You should be, it's gonna be good," she smirked. "So, I had a really good time last night."

"So did I," he smiled.

"And Emme and I are back together, so all is right with the world again," she smiled.

"I'm very happy for you two," he said, his eyes drifting down to her lips.

"I'm pretty happy about it myself," she laughed, biting her bottom lip. He was intoxicatingly close to her. He smelled amazing. Small talk was getting difficult.

She opened her mouth to say something else but before she could, he kissed her. The kiss was soft at first and she felt that butterfly feeling in her stomach again. Then, his hand crept up the back of her neck and the tip of his tongue touched hers. She felt herself beginning to melt against him. She grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him closer.

"Get a room!"

Andy jumped back when she heard the voice. She had almost forgotten they were in the busy backstage area.

She frowned when she saw Cass laughing a few feet away.

"Hi Cass," Randy said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Just ignore her," Andy laughed. "She's probably just mad because she lost money on us again."

"What?" he looked at her, confused.

Andy shook her head, "Never mind."

* * *

><p>Phil ran his hands over his hair, slicking it back and making a face at himself in the mirror.<p>

"You done staring at yourself yet?" Kofi laughed.

"Just about," Phil laughed, looking down at his taped wrists.

"You ready for your match?"

Phil nodded, turning away from the mirror. He was taking part in the fatal four way match to unify the World Championship with Adam, Randy, and Stu.

Phil nodded, "Yeah, I'm good."

"You've been all quiet again today," Kofi sighed. "What'd you do now?"

"How do you know I did something?" Phil asked.

"Seems to be a safe bet lately," Kofi shrugged.

"Well," Phil sat down, resting his elbows on his knees. "I-"

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

Phil looked up, not totally surprised to see Emerson walking through the doorway.

He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off, "Why would you say that to her? I stuck my neck out for you and you think you can just-"

"Whoa, whoa, what happened?" Kofi asked.

"Stay out of it!" Emerson yelled. She glared at Phil, "I helped you because I thought you felt bad for what you did. I thought you really wanted to apologize to her."

"I did!" Phil stood up. "I've tried apologizing, she doesn't want to hear it!"

"So you decided to insult her instead?" Emerson stared.

"I didn't mean to upset her last night," Phil insisted. "What I said..it came out completely wrong."

"Damn right it did," she nodded.

"I don't know how to talk to her," Phil ran a hand over his wet hair. "I try and she just shuts me down before I can get anything out. She's so god damn busy hating me-"

"And why do you think she hates you Phil?" she put her hands on her hips.

"Wait a minute, what the hell happened?" Kofi asked again.

"Your best buddy here made my best friend cry last night," Emerson angrily explained. "Maybe you need to reconsider who you hang out with."

"Okay, you need to calm down," Kofi pointed. Phil could see his friend getting defensive.

"Emerson, I don't know what you want from me," he sighed.

Emerson crossed her arms over her chest, "If you cant keep from hurting her…then what I want is for you to leave her alone."

* * *

><p>Andy rolled her shoulders, looking at the monitor at the gorilla position. She and Beth were opening the show. Beth was in the ring, snatching the microphone away from Tony Chimmel.<p>

"I have a few things to say to Adrienne Nixon," Beth said.

Andy smiled as the crowd popped at the mention of her name.

"I do not appreciate you sticking your nose into my business," Beth said angrily. "I understand that you're bitter because I put you out of commission for an entire year. I would be bitter too if someone had nearly ended my career but-"

Andy's music began and she walked through the curtain, smiling. She walked to the edge of the ramp high fiving a few of the fans that were reaching for her. She walked up the stairs and climbed into the ring, smiling at Beth. She smiled as the noise began to die down, "Sorry to interrupt but..I heard my name so I thought I would come out and let you say whatever you have to say _to my face_."

Beth looked annoyed and stepped closer to Andy, "I took you out once, and I would be glad to do it again."

"It's funny that you mention that Beth," Andy smirked. "Because, I was looking at the card for this evening and I noticed something odd..This is Night of Champions, right?"

The crowd cheered and Beth's jaw clenched.

"And yet..Beth Phoenix, the _Women's Champion_, doesn't have a match," Andy tapped her chin with her finger. "It's amazing the way things fall into place because..it just so happens that _I'm_ free tonight."

The crowd cheered again

Beth smiled, "I will take you on any time, any day."

Andy smirked.

"Except today," Beth continued. "You see, I haven't had time to prepare and since it's been _so long_ since anyone has actually seen you in the ring…I-"

"Let me stop you right there," Andy put up a finger. "You see, I thought you might say something to that effect. Unfortunately for you, due to you breaking my leg, I never actually got a rematch for the championship. So, I talked to Teddy Long earlier today and…it's on."

"You cant do that," Beth shook her head.

"Oh yes I can," Andy smiled. "It's already done. You and me, 1 on 1, right here in Madison Square Garden."

They both took a beat to let the crowd cheer once again before Beth got in Andy's face, pointing, "I am warning you Nixon. I am not afraid of you."

"Good," Andy smiled. "That'll make it even easier for me to kick your ass."

* * *

><p>Kofi walked over to the wardrobe area, pulling on his t-shirt. Emerson was sitting at a table, holding an electronic sketchpad. He didn't know the young woman very well. She mainly traveled with the Raw crew and he was on Smackdown. Though that didn't matter much now. He'd heard nothing but good things about her and her work. When he reached the table, he cleared his throat to get her attention.<p>

She looked up from her sketch, frowning at first when she saw him.

"I come in peace," he put up his hands. "I swear."

Her face relaxed a bit and she set her pad on the table, "How can I help you?"

"I wanted to apologize for getting loud with you earlier," he explained. "It's not my way to be disrespectful toward women. Even when they bust in on my best friend like a hurricane."

She laughed a little, "You weren't disrespectful. It's okay. I apologize for barging in the way I did. I'm just.._protective _when it comes to Andy."

"Understood," Kofi nodded. "I'm the same way with Phil."

"So then we understand each other," she smiled, extending her hand. "No hard feelings?"

"Agreed," he shook her hand. His eyes drifted down to her sketchpad which had a design for Randy Orton that he hadn't seen before. It had his initials in a vertical line with a viper weaving in and out of the letters.

"This is nice," he said, picking it up. "Is this for a new shirt?"

"Yup," she nodded. "I was just recently put in charge of design for all of the company's apparel. Just slide your finger across the screen, you can see some other things my team and I have been working on."

Kofi did as she instructed. The next screen was a design that was obviously for Andy. There was a cupcake with an exploding cherry bomb on top. After that he saw designs for Edge, Undertaker, and Christian.

"I'm impressed," he nodded, looking over at her. "You think you could work on something for me?"

"Of course, it's my job," she smiled. "Try to come up with a couple ideas this weekend and we'll look at them on Monday."

"Sounds good," he smiled, handing the pad back to her. "I'll see you later."

* * *

><p>Phil sat down next to Adam and Kofi, watching one of the monitors. Andy's match with Beth was about halfway through and they were doing a great job keeping the crowd into the show. The match had been back and forth for the most part and Andy wasn't showing the slightest bit of ring rust. At the moment, Andy had the upper hand until Beth pushed her into the ref, knocking him out of the ring. Andy leaned over the ropes, checking on him and Beth slid out of the ring, grabbing the belt and quickly crawling back in with it. She held it up, waiting for Andy to turn around. When Andy turned around, she ducked the cheap shot and kicked Beth in the head. Beth fell like a sack of potatoes, dropping the belt and Andy covered her quickly. The crowd counted three but, of course, there was no ref to make it official. Andy got up to check on him again and Beth got up slowly behind her. She slammed her forearms into Andy's back and then pulled her back into the ring. The belt was still on the canvas and Beth held Andy up, executing her Glam Slam, dropping Andy face first onto the belt.<p>

"Jesus," Adam winced.

Phil cringed as well. Andy's cheek hit right in the middle of the belt, very hard. The groggy ref slid into the ring and counted the pinfall, awarding the match to Beth.

The fans were outraged as Beth took her belt and slid quickly out of the ring. Andy sat on her heels, one hand over her cheek as she glared angrily up the ramp. A replay of the end of the match played on the titan tron and when the referee saw it, he stormed over to Tony Chimmel.

"Ladies and gentleman…the referee has _voided _his decision. Beth Phoenix is not the winner of the match. This match will restart. Right now."

Andy looked thrilled and Beth was furious, as she stormed back down to the ring. She got back in, immediately getting in the referee's face. When she finally turned around, Andy ran at her, jumping off of Beth's knee and landing a kick to her head.

She got up, yanking Beth up by the hair and executing her finisher, a Michinoku driver II she called the Cherry Bomb. She quickly pinned Beth and the fans went wild as the referee counted the fall. He slid out of the ring and Phil could swear he saw tears in her eyes as the ref handed her the belt.

"You gonna try to talk to her again?" Kofi asked.

Phil stopped watching his ex celebrating in the ring and looked over at Kofi, "I don't know. You think I should?"

"I don't know man," Kofi shook his head. "I just think that if you do..Watch what you say this time."

"Thanks for the sage advice," he rolled his eyes.

Kofi shrugged, "Anytime."

* * *

><p><em>8:30 P.M.<em>

Lilah looked over at Andy as the Randy's music started and he walked out onto the ramp. She was sitting on a folding chair with her feet up on another, holding an ice pack to her cheek. When the screen cut to a closer shot of a shirtless Randy, a smile touched her face.

"You're staring at me Liles," Andy laughed, looking over at her.

"I think it's adorable that you can't see Randy without smiling," Lilah teased.

"You and Cass keep saying things like that," Andy rolled her eyes.

"We're happy for you," Lilah shrugged. "Especially with all this drama with-"

"If I hear that name one more time today," Andy rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Honey, you're gonna have to get used to hearing his name," Lilah laughed. "You work with him."

Andy shrugged, turning her attention back to the monitor, just in time for Phil's music to start.

Lilah's phone beeped and she unlocked the screen, reading a text message from Stephanie.

_Vince is thrilled. Congrats!_

Lilah smiled. Mark and Alberto's segment of the show had gone perfectly. The crowd was completely into it, Alberto nailed his speech and Mark was..Mark. He hadn't said a word but he made the whole segment. It gave her goosebumps. She thought back to their kiss earlier that day and she felt almost dizzy at the memory. She looked over at Andy again, nervously wringing her hands, "I have to tell you something."

Andy turned to her, 'What's up?"

"I kissed Mark again," Lilah blurted. "Well..he kissed me but..I didn't necessarily stop him. So…yeah."

"You dirty girl," Andy smiled. 'When did this happen?"

"Earlier today," Lilah felt herself blushing. "I don't know what's wrong with me. He's not my type _at all_. He's-"

"Good looking, single" Andy counted on her fingers. "Apparently can't keep his hands off of you. Shall I go on?"

"He's also an ass," Lilah crossed her arms over her chest.

"An ass that you seem to be attracted to," Andy shrugged. "Be honest, he's kissed you a few times now…did you like it?"

Lilah sighed, tucking her hair behind her ears, "Yes. But I shouldn't. I have rules. He breaks every one of them. He's in the business. He's been divorced 3 times. He's-"

"Liles, you're not planning on marrying him, are you?" Andy smirked.

"_Lord_ no!" Lilah exclaimed.

"Then none of those things should matter," Andy laughed. "You're attracted to him. He's attracted to you. You should go for it. You're young, beautiful, and single. I think sometimes you forget that."

"Yeah but-"

"No buts," Andy put her ice pack down. "A little no strings fun could do you good…In more ways than one."

"Adrienne!" Lilah laughed.

Andy shrugged, "You only live once doll, it's about time you do something a little unpredictable."

* * *

><p>Hunter stood as Vince and Stephanie walked out of Mark's dressing room. They'd all come to talk about how well the segment with Alberto went over. Now Vince and Stephanie were going to talk to Randy after his championship win.<p>

"Glad to hear things worked out with you and Lilah," Hunter looked over at his friend.

Mark smirked, "She's an interesting woman."

Hunter frowned at the tone of Mark's voice, "What's that mean?"

"Doesn't mean anything," Mark shrugged. "I just find her very interesting."

Hunter raised a brow, "Are you trying to get in her pants?"

"Hunter, must you use such vulgar language?" Mark laughed.

"Seriously, man, she's one of Steph's closest friends," Hunter sighed.

"What does that have to do with me?" Mark laughed.

"You're one of my close friends," Hunter explained. "Which means, if you screw with her, I will never hear the end of it."

"You make me sound like some womanizing asshole," Mark said, zipping up his gym bag. "You know me better than that."

"I know you're not looking for anything serious and from what I know of Lilah, she is," Hunter said.

"Well then I guess it's a good thing nothing's happened," Mark shrugged. "You can stop worrying."

Hunter smiled, heading for the door, "Good. I'll see you later."

* * *

><p>Andy tried to ignore the throbbing pain in her cheek as she put her gym bag in the trunk. She was going to have a lovely bruise in the morning. She closed the trunk and before she could move to the driver's side door, she heard someone clearing their throat behind her. She turned, sighing when she saw him.<p>

Phil stood in front of her wearing a Cubs hat, his own bag slung over his shoulder. She could remember a time when seeing his face made her smile so big her face hurt. Now when she saw him, she saw red.

"Great match tonight," he said, absently scratching behind his ear.

"I suppose I have _you _to thank for that, right?" she smirked.

"Please don't turn this into another fight," he sighed.

"If you didn't want a fight, you came to the wrong place Brooks," she glared.

"I'm sorry for what I said," he put up his hands.

"I am really getting sick of hearing you apologizing," she shook her head.

"Why wont you just talk to me then?" he asked. "Why cant we just have a conversation without fighting?"

"Why should I talk to you?" she asked. "You've had _years _to try and talk to me and you did _nothing_."

"_I'm here now_!" he yelled. "God damn it, Andy. I cant change what I _didn't _do in the past. I'm trying _now_."

"Well it's too late now!" she yelled back. In all the time they were together, they were never the type of couple to have shouting matches. Phil was never one to yell and Andy was the queen of the silent treatment when she got really angry. Those times were obviously long gone.

"I know I had time," Phil sighed. "But I didn't know what to say. I didn't know if you would speak to me. Scott said you acted like I didn't exist."

"I did!" she glared. "It probably had something to do with the fact that you walked out on me and left me with a god damn Dear John letter."

"Jesus, Andy, you're never gonna let up, are you?" he smiled bitterly. "No matter what I say or do, you're never gonna let me out of the dog house."

"_No_, I wont!" she spat.

"Fine, then I give up," he threw up his hands. "You really don't care why I did what I did."

"No, I don't," she shook her head. She felt tears again and it just made her more angry. She didn't want him to see her cry. "I cared at first but at this point..it doesn't matter to me. _You _don't matter."

He flinched and she looked away, sniffing.

"Okay," he said. "I get it. I'll steer clear from now on."

"That's all I wanted," she said, still not able to look at him. She didn't need to see his face to know exactly what his expression looked like. He sounded sad but knowing him, he was still smiling that bitter smile.

She heard his footsteps walking away and she pressed the button to unlock the rental car. She blinked away her tears as she slipped into the car. When she couldn't see his form anymore, she was unable to hold her emotions any longer. She rested her forehead against the steering wheel and cried.

* * *

><p>Lilah took a deep breath, looking down at herself and then up at the door. She hoped she wasn't making a huge mistake. Before she could change her mind, she knocked on the door.<p>

Mark opened it after a few seconds. He was clad in a pair of sweatpants and a dark blue t-shirt and he looked confused when he saw her.

"Blondie," he smirked. "What are you doing here at this hour?"

"We need to talk."

Mark stepped aside to allow Lilah into his room. As she walked past he closed the door.

"So what did we need to talk about?" he asked, turning around. His mouth nearly dropped open when he saw her. She'd come in wearing a khaki colored trench coat. Now the coat was on the floor and she was left in a black lace bra, matching panties, and a pair of impossibly high black patent leather heels.

To say that he was shocked would have been an understatement. He felt his pants tighten and he took a deep breath, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

She shrugged, "A friend advised me to do something unpredictable."

"Remind me to thank this friend," he smiled, stepping closer to her.

She was about to say something else but he couldn't wait any longer to kiss her. He grabbed her, fastening his lips to hers and she melted against him. He lifted her up with one arm, using the other to yank the covers off of the bed.

"You sure you wanna do this Blondie?" he asked as he laid her down, climbing on top of her, trailing kisses down her neck.

"Positive."


	9. Chapter 8

**This chapter is a little on the short side but I hope you enjoy. As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!  
><strong>

**Chapter 8…**

_Monday…_

"Do you like these?" Andy asked, holding up her feet to show Cassandra the pair of pink and red striped Charlotte Olympia platform pumps she'd tried on.

"No," Cass shook her head. "But I can see how you would."

"Thanks, I think," Andy frowned.

Cassandra laughed, sitting beside her friend. Andy was by far her favorite person to shop with. Emme could sometimes be too blunt for her own good and Lilah preferred to shop alone.

"You're gonna get the first ones you tried on," Cass nodded to a pair of bright blue Alexander McQueen peep toes.

Cass had already paid for a pale pink pair of Giuseppe Zanottis. She wasn't in any rush though. They didn't have to be at the arena for a few hours.

"Possibly," Andy shrugged, trying on a different pair. "So..Stu told me what happened the other night."

"Did he now?" Cass sat back in her chair, looking down at her bag.

Andy nodded, "Is everything okay?"

"We're fine," Cass shrugged. "I called that night and apologized."

"I know you and Stu are okay, I'm asking if _you_ are okay," Andy explained. "What were you so upset about?"

Cass sighed crossing her arms over her chest, "I don't know. I was just stressed."

Even though she and Stu weren't in a committed relationship, she wasn't sure it was a good idea to tell one of his closest friends that she was upset over someone else.

"Well that's a lie," Andy rolled her eyes. "Come on Cass, what's up?"

Cassandra sighed. It didn't help that Andy was also one of her best friends.

"Adam," she admitted. "Stephanie set him up on a date."

Andy nodded, putting the lids on the shoe boxes in front of her.

"Lilah told me and I just…I don't know, I felt like I was gonna start crying or something," she admitted. "I know it's bratty and ridiculous but..I don't like it."

"It is bratty but it's not ridiculous," Andy said, putting her arms around her shoulders. Cass rested her chin on Andy's arm. "It's okay to be pouty when you think about your ex with someone else."

"Would you be upset about-"

"Not about me honey," Andy interrupted.

Cass laughed, "You don't think I'm being stupid?"

"No," Andy shook her head. "What you and Adam had was pretty intense from beginning to end. You're allowed to have feelings. You're allowed to be upset."

"But what am I supposed to do about it?" Cassandra asked.

"That's a good question," Andy sighed. "The shitty thing is, you can't do anything about it. Adam's gonna have a life. He's gonna be with other people and even though it might hurt..you just have to grin and bear it. Eventually, it won't seem so bad."

Cass nodded, knowing she didn't need to point out how much that sucked.

"And you need to be nice to Stu," Andy added. "I don't wanna have to yell at you."

"I will," Cass agreed.

Stu had assured her that he wasn't upset about the way she treated him but she'd barely seen or spoken to him all weekend. He seemed to be keeping his distance from her. Hopefully she hadn't completely screwed things up.

"Thanks Andy," Cass patted her friends arm. "You give pretty good relationship advice for a divorced woman."

"Go to hell," Andy laughed, slapping her on the arm as she got up. She pulled her phone out of her purse and then gave Cass a confused look, "Have you talked to Lilah since Saturday? She's not returning any texts."

Cass shook her head, "She texted me Saturday night and said she was flying out early Sunday for some meeting. We haven't really talked since."

Andy smirked, "Well, I hope she had a good weekend."

* * *

><p>Lilah tried to catch her breath as she pulled white pencil skirt down over her hips. She looked around for her shoes, finding one about a foot away from her. She picked it up quickly, looking around for the other one. Mark stood behind her, pulling his shirt back on.<p>

"Over there," he pointed her in the direction of her other heel.

"Thanks," she rushed over, picking it up.

"You're welcome," he came up behind her as she stepped into the shoes, wrapping an arm around her waist.

She smiled, trying her best not to melt against him. Since Saturday night they'd been unable to keep their hands off of each other. She was thoroughly impressed with his stamina. He never seemed to tire of sex. And fortunately for her, he was amazing in bed. She was no prude, sex had always been a favorite activity of hers but she couldn't recall a time she'd enjoyed it more than she did with Mark.

"Stop right there," she reluctantly pulled herself away from him, pointing a stern finger at him.

"Why?" he asked, reaching for her again.

"Because we are at work," she whispered, pulling her silk shirt over her head and tucking it into her skirt.

"It's a little late for that, isn't it?" he smirked, gesturing around the conference room they'd snuck into the second he arrived at the arena.

"Shut up," she pointed again.

"How about you take your own advice?" he asked, taking her hand and pulling her into a searing kiss.

Lilah could feel her resolve fading away and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She could feel him beginning to slide her skirt up again when there was a light tapping at the door.

Lilah gasped, jumping away from him, her eyes darting to the door.

Mark rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed at the interruption.

"Ms. Copeland? Ms. Copeland, are you in there?"

It was Lilah's turn to roll her eyes when she heard Michael's voice.

"Stay put," she whispered to Mark before rushing over to the door and opening it just enough to slide out into the hallway.

"What can I do for you Michael?" she asked.

"Mrs. McMahon is looking for you," Michael said, looking over his shoulder. "She asked me to come find you."

"Okay," Lilah nodded. "You can tell her I'll be right there."

"Okay," Michael said, his usual anxious expression lifting just a hint.

"Michael, how did you know I was in here?" Lilah asked. She'd thought they had done a pretty good job of sneaking away.

"I saw you and Mr. Callaway go in there earlier," Michael nodded to the room.

Lilah felt her eyes widen but Michael shrugged, "Were you working on his angle?"

Lilah bit her lip nodding, "Mmhmm."

"What's it like working with him?" Michael asked. "He seems so.._intimidating_."

"He is," Lilah nodded. "Very intimidating. Now uh..you should go and let Steph know I'm coming."

He hesitated, not seeming too thrilled about the idea of rushing back to his boss.

Lilah shooed him away, "Go. I'll see you later."

Once he was out of sight, she leaned against the door, taking a deep breath, "What am I doing?"

* * *

><p>Adam hefted his bag up onto his shoulder as he and Randy walked into the arena. He'd offered his good friend a ride to the show when he saw him in the hotel lobby. They hadn't found much time to talk in the last few days. Aside from Jason and Lilah, Randy was probably Adam's closest friend.<p>

"I almost forgot to tell you..Stephanie's setting me up on a blind date."

Randy made a face, "Why exactly did you agree to this?"

"Hunter," Adam shrugged. "He accused me of not being over Cass."

"So you're going on a blind date to prove him wrong?" Randy raised a brow. "Do you know what she looks like?"

"No Randy, it's a _blind_ date," Adam laughed.

"Doesn't mean Steph couldn't show you a Facebook picture or something."

"Well she didn't," Adam shook his head.

Randy sighed, "Well..make sure it's a lunch date. Easier to duck out that way."

"Thank you for that sage advice," Adam smirked. "And I already made sure of that. This isn't my first rodeo."

"Good man," Randy patted him on the back. They found the dressing room with their names on the door, along with a few others, and walked in, dropping their bags.

"Guess you don't have to worry about that sort of thing nowadays, huh?" Adam smirked.

"What do you mean by that?" Randy asked, plopping down in a chair.

"Andy," Adam said, surprised he had to ask. "You guys have been practically inseparable."

"I wouldn't say _inseparable_," Randy said, unconvincingly.

"Then what would you say?"

Randy shrugged, "We're playing it by ear, you know? Neither of us wants to be tied down."

Adam knew Randy hadn't been in the market for a serious relationship for a while but he'd seen the way he looked at Andy. They could tell themselves it was a fling or whatever all they wanted but he wasn't buying it.

He smiled, patting his friend on the shoulder, "You let me know how that works out."

* * *

><p>Emme let out a frustrated sigh as she flipped through the rack of clothing her assistant, Kendall, had just set up for her. The dress that Andy was supposed to wear for Raw was nowhere to be found. Kendall must have forgotten it back at the hotel. Emerson normally double checked everything she did but Lilah had told her to stop micromanaging or her young assistant would end up a bumbling mess like Stephanie's assistant Michael. Ironically, Stephanie, tormentor of all administrative help, had been the person who insisted that they hire Emme a helper to travel with her since she was taking on so much more work lately. Fortunately, Emme had a few other things that Andy could wear so it wasn't the end of the world.<p>

She heard loud laughing and when she looked up, she saw Ted and Cody coming her way. Her jaw clenched and she turned back toward the rack quickly, steering it around so that it would hide her from view.

"Emerson?"

She gasped when she heard her name behind her. She turned, hand over her chest.

Kofi stood behind her. He looked concerned when he saw the look of fear on her face, "Are you okay?"

"You scared the hell out of me," she laughed, letting her hand fall to her side.

"I'm sorry, I thought you heard me walk up," he placed a hand on her shoulder. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm good," she nodded. "Jumpy but that's nothing new."

"Good, at least it's not just me you're scared of," he smiled. "You have some time to talk about t-shirts?"

"Always," she smiled, beginning to feel more relaxed. Cass was always telling her she needed to calm down before she gave herself a heart attack. "What have you got for me?"

"There's a tiny problem with that," he said, scratching behind his ear. "I thought about it all weekend and I got nothing."

"That's okay, you're not the first person who's had trouble," she laughed. She picked up her electronic sketch pad, touching the screen and typing in her code to unlock it, "I sketched a few things this morning. Take a look."

She handed him the pad. The first designed was using his name repeated in tiny print to make up the flag of Ghana. From far away it would look like a solid flag. The back of the shirt just had 'Trouble in Paradise' across the shoulders.

"Wow," Kofi smiled. "I like this."

"Good," she smiled. She dragged her finger across the screen to show him another.

"I thought your old shirts were great for kids but you need something for your older fans," she explained.

"I told Jill that before and she just shot me down," he explained.

The woman who held her job previously was a graphic designer who was good at what she did, as long as she liked the talent. Anyone she didn't like didn't get any input. Apparently she wasn't a big Kofi fan.

"What do you think?" she asked as he looked over the next one. She'd taken the Boom Squad idea from his current shirts but made a logo that looked similar to a police badge.

"You used my first night on Raw as the badge number, nice touch," he smiled.

"That's what they pay me for," she shrugged. "I'm surprised you noticed."

"I'm good with dates," he shrugged. "How'd you get so good at this stuff?"

She laughed, "I was designing textiles and outfits for my Barbies when I was 4."

"I didn't have that kind of focus when I was 4," he laughed. "I think I was still getting yelled at for making mud pies."

"I was never much of a mud pie girl," she laughed.

"Where are you from?" he asked.

"Vegas, born and raised," she answered.

"What was that like?" he laughed.

"Always interesting to say the least," she smiled. "You're from Boston, right?"

"Yes ma'am," he nodded. "Not quite as crazy as Las Vegas but still interesting. Did you go to school in Nevada then?"

"UNLV first, I got all the academics out of the way and then I went to the International Academy for Design and Technology in Las Vegas for fashion design and merchandising."

"Very cool," he nodded. "I went to Boston College for business."

"Nice," she nodded, impressed.

"So how did you get started in this business?" he asked. "Sounds to me like it would have made more sense to intern at a fashion house or something."

"It would have," she laughed. "But I've always been a fan and I thought it would be fun and give me some interesting experience. My dad owns a few five star restaurants in Vegas and I was helping out one day when Stephanie and Hunter happened to be having dinner. I never left home without my portfolio at the time so I grabbed it and walked up to the table and asked if I could show them a few things. Stephanie loved everything but Hunter pointed out that nothing in it really related to wrestling."

"So what did you do?"

"I drew up a new logo for Hunter right then and there," she smirked. "We used it when he came back from his injury that year."

"That's pretty bad ass Emerson," he smiled.

"You can call me Emme," she waved off the formality.

"So what restaurants does your dad own?"

"Carson's Steakhouse, Lane 11, and Max's," she answered.

"I've heard of all of them," Kofi nodded, seeming impressed. "I tried to get into Lane 11 once and they were booked for like a month and a half."

"They usually are," she laughed. "But next time just give them my name and they'll find you a table."

"Really?"

"The place is named after me, I have a fair amount of pull," she laughed. "Our last name is Lane and my birthday is November 11th. _Max_ was our German Shepard. And my dad's name is Carson. He's very sentimental."

"Sounds like a great father," Kofi smiled. "And I will definitely be dropping your name next time I'm in Vegas."

He looked down at his watch, "I should probably get going. I gotta find Stu and go over some things for tonight."

"Okay," she said, realizing he was probably sick of her talking his ear off. "I'll get some samples of the shirts made up this week."

"Great," he smiled. "Thanks again for drawing those up. They look awesome."

"You're welcome," she shrugged. "Kinda my job."

"Well you're really good at it," he pointed. "It was nice talkin' to you."

She waved, "You too."

* * *

><p><em>6 P.M.<em>

Stu looked up at the locker room doorway when he heard a light tapping. Cassandra stood there, ready for the show in a short, pale blue dress with very thin beaded straps. Her brown waves were curled and pulled into a low side ponytail. She was wearing flip flops instead of her normal heels and he couldn't help but smile at how small she looked.

"If Adrienne scolded you in any way, I can't be held responsible," he put up his hands. He'd told her not to mention anything to Cass but he knew it was a futile request.

"I wouldn't say she scolded me," she walked into the room. "She did tell me that if I'm not nice to you, she will."

He shrugged, "She's protective."

She sat beside him, looking up with big green eyes, "Have you been avoiding me?"

He sighed, resting his elbows on his knees, "I have. A little."

"Why?" she asked. "I thought you said that we were okay."

"I did, and we are," he nodded. "It just seemed like you might need some time to yourself. We've been spending a lot of time together, I figured after what happened, a step back may be in order."

"A step back from what? We're just friends, right?" she asked.

"We are," he nodded. "I just don't want you to feel like there's any pressure."

"I don't,' she shook her head. "And I'm sorry I freaked out on you I was upset about something stupid."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked. He didn't believe that whatever had upset her was as trivial as she wanted him to.

"No, it's not important," she shook her head. "I'm feeling better now."

"Good," he said, somewhat unconvinced.

"Will you stop avoiding me now?" she smiled, nudging him with her shoulder.

"I'll think about it," he smiled. "I may need a back rub tonight after what Kofi and I have planned for our match. I could be persuaded to spend some time with you if you were to put those little hands to use."

Her mouth dropped open and he stifled a laugh. Cass _hated_ being made fun of for being small.

"My hands are not _that_ little," she glared at him.

He leaned over kissing her lips softly, "They are. It's _almost_ weird."

She slapped him hard on the shoulder, "Jerk."

"Is that a yes or a no to the back?" he smirked.

"You'll stop avoiding me?" she asked.

He raised his hand, "You have my word."


	10. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the lack of update, things got crazy busy for a while there but I should be back on track with regular-ish updates. And this one is a double. As always read, enjoy, and don't forget to review!  
><strong>

**Chapter 9…**

"You didn't flip on Kendall for not bringing the right dress, did you?" Andy asked Emerson as she stood in front of the mirror, finishing her eyeliner.

"No, I didn't," Emerson answered. "Honestly, I forgot to say anything."

"You did?"

"I got distracted," Emme explained.

"Distracted by what?" Andy turned to her friend, noting an interesting tone to her voice.

"Nothing," Emme waved, giving her a stern look.

Andy knew it was best to let it drop for now. When Emme gave that look, she meant business.

"How's your cheek?"

"It hurts like hell," Andy looked at herself again, hoping her bruise wasn't showing. She hated wearing as much makeup as she was but fortunately her bruise was almost gone. She wouldn't have to wear it much longer. It was almost gone.

"Well, at least you don't have to get hit in the face again until Thursday," Emme smirked.

Andy laughed, looking over at the women's championship belt sitting on top of her bag. She was surprised they'd put the belt on her in her first week back but she couldn't say she wasn't thrilled. Especially with the angle Lilah had planned for her. Beginning that night on Raw, Andy would be working a program with Kia Stevens, now known in the WWE as Kharma, formerly Awesome Kong in TNA and Amazing Kong on the independent circuit. She didn't know Kia very well but she had a ton of respect for her. Fans had been calling for a matchup between the two since Andy returned to the US from Japan but the timing never worked out. Now the timing was perfect. Both women were working in the same place and free of injury. And the recent return of Lisa Varon and Jamie Szantyr joining the roster, Andy was excited about the direction the women's division was taking. Andy had played a large part in Jamie leaving TNA. The two of them had been friends for years and when Jamie informed her that TNA was asking her to take a large pay cut, Andy took it upon herself to tell Hunter that she might be available. Jamie wasn't convinced that the WWE was the best place for her and Hunter had Andy sit in on the meetings with her and her lawyer to try and convince her that the with Hunter's new backing, the women's division was getting a facelift and they wanted her to be a part of it.

"Hey there Raggedy Andy."

She smiled, turning around, "Have I ever mentioned how much I _hate_ being called that?"

As if Andy's thoughts had conjured her up, Jamie Szantyr stood in the doorway, laughing. She shrugged, "Maybe once or twice."

"Hey!" Andy rushed over, giving her friend a hug. "I didn't know you would be here tonight."

"Surprise," Jamie smiled.

"Hey Jamie," Emme waved.

"Emme, you look amazing," Jamie hugged her.

"Thanks," Emme's cheeks started to flush.

"Don't thank me. It's true," Jamie smiled.

Emme shrugged and Andy put an arm around her best friend. It always seemed to throw her when people who hadn't seen her in a while fawned over her.

"Hunter suggested I come a few days early and get a feel for things," Jamie explained. "Sounded like a good idea and I figured I'd get to come harass you guys for a little bit."

"Well it's good to see you," Emme smiled.

"You guys too," Jamie smiled. She crossed her arms over her chest and fixed her eyes on Andy, "Now what's this I hear about you having a new _boyfriend_ and an old _husband_?"

Andy sighed deeply, "That's a really long story."

* * *

><p>Adam waved as the cameramen walked away. He and Cass had just finished filming an interview. She was taking her ear piece out and he was having trouble taking his eyes off of her. It was extremely frustrating to him that he still had such a problem looking away from her.<p>

"Do I have something on my face?" she asked.

"No, sorry," he shook his head. "I was sort of spacing out."

"You sure?" she asked.

He nodded, "How've you been? We haven't talked much lately."

"Yeah we're not doing too great at the whole friends thing, huh?" she smirked.

"Not exactly," he agreed.

"I've been good, doing a lot of work on the online show," she explained. "We're thinking of doing 2 a week instead of one."

Cass had been doing an online interview show for about 7 months and it was becoming pretty popular with the fans. The writers were even beginning to incorporate it into the shows.

"That's great," he smiled. "When are you gonna have me on?"

"Whenever you'd like," she smiled. "You're always welcome."

"How's it going with Stu?"

"Stu and I are just friends," she answered quickly.

"Come on Cassie, it's pretty much common knowledge that you two are more than friends," he leaned against the wall.

"You know I hate being called Cassie," she glared at him. "And we really are friends. I guess the proper term would be 'friends with benefits' but I've always found that to be a really vulgar way of saying it."

"It is pretty vulgar," he nodded. "You like him?"

"Does it matter?" she asked.

He wasn't sure how to respond and she immediately seemed to regret what she'd said. She smiled sheepishly, "I'm sorry. That was weird, wasn't it?"

"A little bit," he agreed.

"I should go," she said, taking a step away. "I'm just..gonna go."

She turned away and he followed her, reaching out and grabbing her hand. She turned around, obviously surprised.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She smiled, nodding, "I'm fine. It's just been a rough couple days. I'll see you later."

* * *

><p>Randy watched the monitor as Kia Stephens walked down the ramp, eyes locked on Adrienne. The redhead was in the middle of addressing the crowd when Kharma's music started to play. Michael Cole was hyping the confrontation, mentioning that Andy had scored a victory over every other woman currently in the WWE except for Kharma. The music stopped as Kia slid under the bottom rope and stood, walking toward Andy. Andy didn't back down and the two women stared each other down for a few seconds. A chant started for Andy but she kept her face neutral, her green eyes focused on the other woman. After a few more seconds, Kia burst into her signature maniacal laughter She shook her head, still laughing as she backed away from Andy, climbing back out of the ring.<p>

The locker room door opened and Hunter walked in. He nodded toward the monitor where Andy was staring up the ramp, confused.

"Good to have your girlfriend back," Hunter smirked.

"She's not my girlfriend," Randy corrected. "But you're right. It is good that she's back. Especially since you've decided to save the women's division."

Since Hunter had stepped up in talent development, he'd managed to turn the tag team division into a big draw again and the women were his next project.

"Someone had to do it," Hunter shrugged. "And your _not girlfriend_ is the best I've seen in years. If I can't get it done with her, I should just quit my job."

"She's pretty awesome," Randy smiled.

A smirk appeared on Hunter's face and Randy wasn't sure he wanted to know what his friend was about to say next.

"So, I gotta ask, is it true that Andy was married to Punk?" Hunter inquired.

Randy rolled his eyes. He'd never had a problem with Phil but he was beginning to get sick of the other man being a constant topic of conversation.

"A long time ago," Randy confirmed. "It was annulled."

"You worried at all about that?" Hunter asked. "Your new _not girlfriend_ working with her ex husband."

"The marriage was annulled," Randy shrugged. "Technically, he's more like an ex-boyfriend."

"Doesn't matter how it ended, she married him, things must have been pretty serious at some point," Hunter pointed out.

"She was 18," Randy explained. "She was a kid. Kids make mistakes. And obviously you've never heard her talk about him. She hates the guy. Trust me; I have nothing to worry about."

"Sounds like a lot of drama to me," Hunter said. "That _is_ something to worry about."

"Not really," Randy shrugged. "She avoids him as much as she can."

"And what about him?" Hunter questioned.

"What about him?" Randy smirked. "She's got me."

"Poor girl," Hunter shook his head. "At least she's got a good job."

Randy laughed, giving him the finger, "Believe me. Things are good."

"Good for you," Hunter patted him on the shoulder. "She's a catch. Be smart."

Randy smiled, "Always."

* * *

><p>Cassandra crossed her legs, leaning back in her chair as she looked through the schedule in front of her. Michael had just given her a list of guests for her online show for the next two weeks. Thursday she would be interviewing Adam and Phil. She thought back to her awkward exchange with Adam earlier that day and hoped upon hope that she could manage to be as normal as possible on Thursday. She'd been thinking a lot in the last few days about how much she missed spending time with him. One of the great things about their relationship had been the friendship that was there. They could do anything from a trip to the Bahamas to sitting at home and playing board games and she had the time of her life. Then, she'd panicked and messed it all up. Getting him back was impossible but getting their friendship back was something she wanted badly. She just hoped she could do it.<p>

"You look intense," Emerson came into the room carrying garment bags. "What's wrong?"

Cass looked over at the sheet and then back at her friend, "Nothing."

"Liar," Emerson rolled her eyes, picking up the sheet.

Cass tried to come up with something quickly, not wanting Emerson to catch on to her wallowing.

"I was just thinking," Cass took the sheet back. "I'm interviewing Phil on Thursday,"

"That should be a blast," Emerson made a face.

"Oh it will be dear," Cass smirked, feeling devious gears begin to grind in her head.

"What are you thinking?" Emerson's warm brown eyes narrowed to slits as she fixed a suspicious look on her.

"Nothing diabolical, stop looking at me like that," she laughed. "I just want to ask him some serious questions."

"I don't think that's a very good idea," Emerson frowned. "I suggest you keep everything strictly professional. Storyline related questions _only_."

"Where's the fun in that?" Cassandra laughed.

"Do you not recall how angry Andy was when I meddled in that mess?"

"I know but you can't deny that you want the full story just as much as I do," the shorter woman pointed. "I'm not gonna be stupid and ask while the camera is on but I'm definitely gonna take the opportunity to get some answers when I have him cornered."

"Listen, I wanna know just as much as you but I think we're just gonna have to wait until things come out naturally," Emerson shrugged.

Cass crossed her arms over her chest, "Not if I can help it."

* * *

><p>"Everybody decent?"<p>

Glenn laughed when he heard Lilah's voice at the door to the locker room he was sharing with Mark and Paul Wight.

"As decent as we can get," Paul laughed, opening the door for her.

"Thank you," Lilah smiled, breezing into the room. Glenn couldn't help but notice Mark sitting up a little straighter when Lilah came in. He also noticed Lilah making sure her eyes didn't fall anywhere near him.

"Stephanie and I wanted to run a couple things past you, do you have a minute?" she asked Paul.

"For you, I have an hour," he smiled.

Lilah laughed, waiting patiently as Paul shoved some stray items into his gym bag.

Mark's eyes were locked on her but she still hadn't even sent a glance his way. Glenn decided to test the waters.

"See you later Lilah," he waved and she smiled brightly at him, waving back before Paul exited the room and she followed behind.

Mark frowned as he watched them leave.

"You should really give up on that," Glenn advised, amused at friend.

"You think so, huh?" Mark asked, lacing up his boots.

"You didn't notice how you were just blatantly ignored?" Glenn smirked.

"Oh I noticed," Mark nodded. "I'll talk to her about that later."

Glenn noticed a hint of something in Mark's voice that made him stop in his tracks, "What happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"Coy doesn't work on grown men," Glenn pointed. "What did you do?"

Mark looked as if he considered keeping up the facade but he quickly decided against it, breaking into a shit eating grin.

"You and Lilah?" Glenn stared.

Mark nodded, "We were together all weekend. She is incredible. It's gotta be some sort of repressed executive thing."

"I'm sure she'd love to hear how sweetly you talk about her," Glenn shook his head. He'd known a lot of the women Mark had been with. He definitely hadn't expected Lilah to become one.

"You sure this is a good idea?" he asked.

"Seems like a great idea right now," Mark smiled. "We're both adults. We can take care of ourselves."

"So if this is true..why did she act like you didn't exist just now?"

Mark shrugged, "She doesn't want anyone to know what's going on. Apparently she thinks that means she has to ignore me completely. We'll have a talk about that later."

* * *

><p>Andy plopped down in a chair in the catering area, picking at the fruit she'd heaped onto her plate. Jamie was talking with Hunter and since she was done for the night after her confrontation with Kia, she figured this was as good a time as any to get a few minutes to herself. She propped her feet up on a folding chair and popped a piece of a strawberry into her mouth. Her momentary peace was quickly ruined when she heard footsteps coming up behind her. She turned, sighing deeply when she saw Kofi coming toward her.<p>

She dropped her feet to the floor, preparing to get up and leave.

"You don't have to leave because of me," he said, putting his hands up. "I'm not gonna bother you."

"You're not?" Andy raised a brow. When she saw him coming her way, she'd assumed he was coming to plead Phil's case and she was not in any mood for that.

"No," he laughed at her suspicious expression. "I'm just hungry."

"Oh," she smiled, feeling ridiculous. She gave him a sheepish smile, "Sorry. I'm kind of on edge lately."

"Understandable," he nodded, putting together a small plate for himself. "You looked great in that match with Beth on Saturday by the way."

"Thank you," she smiled. "You were great tonight, you and Matt really put on a show."

"Thank you," he returned her sentiment, holding his bottle of water up to her like a toast. "We do what we can, right?"

She nodded, feeling awkward.

"Listen..you and I don't really know each other very well," he said, seeming to feel the awkwardness as much as she did. "I don't know exactly what happened between you and Phil and I'm not gonna ask because that's your business."

"I appreciate that," she smiled, silently wishing everyone else in her life would take that approach.

"We work together. I don't have any problems with you. I just hope that you and I can be comfortable around each other," he gave her an earnest smile and she felt herself smiling back.

"Of course we can," she offered him a handshake, feeling the awkward tension slip away rather easily. "I'm sorry for being skittish earlier."

"No problem," he shook her hand. "Seems like you and your friend Emme are both a little jumpy."

"I'm nowhere near as bad as Em, she jumps out of her skin at the drop of a hat," she laughed. "You should see her when she sees a spider."

"I bet that would be interesting," he laughed.

"I didn't realize you knew her," she commented.

"I don't really," he shrugged. "Honestly, we just started talking in the last few days. She seems cool."

"Yeah, she's pretty awesome," Andy smiled proudly. She felt her cell phone vibrate in her pocket and she pulled it out, laughing when she saw a picture of she and Emerson dressed in footie pajamas from a party they'd thrown for Cass's birthday. 'Speak of the devil."

"I'll let you get that," he said, stepping away. "See you later."

"Later," she waved as he walked away. She watched him walk away and her mind drifted to the stern look Emerson gave her when she asked what had distracted her earlier. She answered the call before her phone sent her friend to voicemail.

"Emerson Lane," she smiled. "Your ears must be burning."

* * *

><p><em>11:00 P.M.<em>

Lilah searched through her purse for her room key, getting increasingly frustrated when she couldn't find it. She was exhausted and all she wanted was to take a long shower, put on something comfortable, and pass out. Her weekend with Mark had been amazing but it definitely took a lot out of her. She finally found the key wedged deep in the abyss of her Kate Spade bag, surrounded by loose change. She rolled her eyes, making a mental note to put keycards in her wallet as she pulled it out. Before she could enter it into the slot above the doorknob, she felt it slide out of her hand. She jumped, turning around, clutching her purse tightly against her chest.

Mark stood in front of her, holding her keycard and looking stern.

"Do you make a habit of sneaking up on women late at night in hotel hallways?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," he said dryly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Can I have my key back please?" she asked.

"In a minute," he answered. "We need to talk first."

"Out here?" she looked around, growing anxious. She knew for a fact that a fair amount of the production staff was on the same floor as her. The last thing she needed was some gossipy crew member telling the entire company about them.

"What's the matter Lilah, you scared someone might see us?" he smirked.

"Yes," she nodded, snatching the key out of his hand the moment she realized he'd loosened his grip on it.

He looked surprised and she wasn't sure if he was more caught off guard by her honesty or her quickness.

"Mark, it's enough that Adam is my cousin," she sighed, opening her door and walking in, leaving him to fall into step behind her. "On top of that, damn near everyone around here thinks I'm Stephanie's _pet_. I don't need people thinking I got the _joyous_ task of handling your angle because I'm sleeping with you."

"You care that much about what people think?" he raised a brow.

"I do when it comes to my job," she shrugged. "If someone doesn't like my hair they can go straight to hell but if someone thinks that I'm not good at my job..it bothers me. I've always made it a point to do so well that even people who hate me have to admit to themselves that I'm good."

"That's a little crazy," he laughed at her, sitting down on the couch.

She shrugged, "I'm competitive."

"I understand your point," he said. "But I think you need to realize that people around here are more likely to assume there's something going on between us when you act like I'm invisible."

"Aww, did you get jealous when I ignored you today?" she teased, sitting beside him and reaching out to pinch his cheek. He swiftly grabbed her hand before she could touch his face, "Real cute Blondie. Believe me, the last thing you'll get from me is jealousy. I'm fine if we keep this between us, I just thought you should work on your techniques. Glenn figured out what was going on right away."

"You _told_ him?" she felt her mouth drop open.

"Did you not just hear me say he figured it out on his own?" he laughed.

"But you _confirmed_ it?" she pointed.

"Oh come on, like your little girlfriends don't know everything there is to know."

"They don't actually," Lilah responded. "They have their suspicions but I told them they were wrong."

"And they believe you?" he smirked.

She laughed, "Not necessarily. But at least I made an _attempt_ to deny it."

She was about to say something else but a yawn overtook her and she quickly covered her mouth.

"I'll let you get some sleep," he said, standing up. When he walked past her, she caught the scent of his soap and her eyes drifted shut for a moment as she remembered feeling his skin against hers. She stood up, smiling at him, "Why don't you stay for a little while? I'm not that tired yet."


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10…**

_Thursday…Pittsburgh_

Adam took off his sunglasses, tucking them into the collar of his shirt as he walked into restaurant. All he knew was that he was looking for a brunette. He hoped she had a better idea of who she was waiting for. He took a deep breath, fighting the urge to turn around and leave. As ridiculous as the idea of a blind date felt at his age, he'd promised Hunter and Stephanie he would do it. There was no backing out now.

"Adam?"

He stopped, looking around for the voice. He spotted her a few feet away at a table near the window.

"Laurel?" he walked toward her.

"That would be me," she smiled, reaching out her hand to shake his. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too," he shook her hand, trying to look her over without being too obvious. She was tall, probably 6' in the heels she was wearing. She wore dark denim jeans, a brown silk top and a stack of thin gold bracelets on her left wrist. Her hair was dark, he couldn't really tell in the restaurant's natural light if it was brown or black. She kept it straight, parted down the middle, stopping just under her collarbone. She had a heart shaped face with almond shaped brown eyes, a thin, upturned nose and full lips. She was attractive, though not necessarily Adam's type. Something about her facial features reminded him of someone who would have been really, really attractive..in the 80's.

"So you went to college with Stephanie?" Adam asked, sitting across from her. The scent of herbal tea wafted up to his nose.

"I did," she nodded. "We took about half of our classes together."

"And she didn't manage to convince you to get into the business with her?" he smirked.

"She definitely tried," Laurel laughed. "But I declined. I actually own a small chain of pet supply stores."

"So you're a big animal person?" Adam asked, glad for some common ground. He had 2 dogs himself.

"Honestly no," she flashed a guilty smile. "There's a lot of money in trendy little shops like mine though. You'd be amazed how much people will spend on a novelty t-shirt for a dog or cat."

"My ex had cats," Adam smiled, thinking of their fat, furry faces. "Tango and Cash. And a gerbil, John Connor."

"And bad taste in movies to go with them," she laughed.

"I always thought it was cute," Adam shrugged.

"My ex loved cheesy things like that," Laurel shook her head. "We should introduce them."

"Maybe," Adam laughed, glad she didn't seem too put off by his mention of exes. "So, Stephanie had nothing but good things to say about you."

"You too," she took a sip of her tea. "But, you know, you can never trust a friend's word when they're setting you up."

"I thought you should trust your friends more than anybody else," Adam laughed.

Laurel shrugged, "I'm cautious. I did a little research of my own."

Adam wondered if his face conveyed his current level of surprise and apprehension at her admission, "Oh yeah? What'd you find?'

"Some really great things," she smiled, toying with the handle on her cup. "You're obviously great at what you do. You're well respected. You have a _huge_ following."

"My fans are great," he smiled proudly.

"Also, some not so good things," she added quickly. Adam couldn't help but get the impression that she didn't want him to get too comfortable. He took a deep breath and waited. This was going to be a long lunch.

* * *

><p>Phil felt as if a pile of bricks was being lifted from his chest when the production assistant came over to help him and Cassandra take their mics off. The interview he'd just endured could easily be counted as one of the most uncomfortable he'd ever had. The strange thing was, the content of the interview was good. Cass asked great questions, better than he'd expected, and he was never worried about how he came across in an interview. He was always himself. The problems started when the camera wasn't rolling. They'd had a few technical issues with lighting and microphones and anytime they weren't being filmed. Cassandra was shooting daggers at him. She looked at him like something she'd just scraped off the bottom of her shoe. Stephanie was there and Cass would walk over to her during a break and they would speak in hushed tones with the shorter woman occasionally casting a disparaging glance his way. It was amazing to him that someone could come to hate him so quickly without even knowing the whole story. Once he was free of the microphone he thanked the PA and then tried to get away from the set as quickly as possible.<p>

"Phil, wait."

He considered pretending he hadn't heard Cassandra try to stop him but he figured there was no point. She didn't seem like the type to give up.

He turned, crossing his arms over her chest, not saying a word.

"I have a few more questions for you," she explained, her facial expression was so haughty, he thought she might as well just stick her nose straight in the air.

"And what, pray tell, would those be Cassandra?" he asked, not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice.

"I think you know," she gave him an incredulous look. "I want to know exactly what you did to Andy."

Phil tilted his head to the left, cracking his neck and then looking away.

"Oh come on," Cass said. "This broody thing may have worked on her but it doesn't work on me. What happened?"

"Didn't you hear?" he asked, a bitter smile on his face. "I left her and I'm a huge asshole. I should be b_urned at the stake_."

"Stop being dramatic," she glared. "Obviously I know what happened in the simplest sense. I want to know why."

"That's none of your business."

"That's where you're wrong," she pointed. "Adrienne is more than my friend. She's like my sister. Now typically my philosophy is you hurt her, I hurt you but since it's been a while, I'm trying my best to give you the benefit of the doubt. What happened?"

"You're kidding, right?" he laughed. He was willing to bet Cassandra hadn't lifted a weight in her entire life and she was threatening to hurt him. He was almost as amused as he was irritated. He shook his head, turning to walk away.

"You know, if you ever want a chance at getting Andy back, you should definitely learn to be a little nicer to her friends."

Phil stopped and his eyebrows drew together as he turned to face her, "Excuse me? When exactly did I say I wanted her back?"

She scoffed, shaking her head, "You don't have to. It's _obvious_."

"Really? And why is that?" he asked.

"You've been _desperate_ to get her to accept your apology yet if anyone else says anything to you about it, you get all high and mighty like you did nothing wrong. You went to Emme for help," she counted off the reasons on her fingers. "You keep sticking your foot in your mouth. You're clearly-"

"Maybe I'm just a half decent person," he cut her off. "Did you consider that possibility?"

"I did," she nodded. "But you and I both know that's not all it is."

"That's where you're wrong," he pointed at her. "_You_ don't know anything."

With that, he turned and walked away, gritting his teeth to keep himself from smacking his fist into the wall.

* * *

><p>Kofi hefted his gym bag up onto his shoulder, smiling and waving at the fans he'd just taken a picture with. He loved interacting with the WWE fans. They could get a little over zealous at times but they were the most passionate fans in the world. He loved that. He was walking toward the elevator banks when he saw a familiar woman standing at the front desk. As he got a few steps closer he realized it was Emerson. She looked every bit the stylist she was in a white t-shirt with a black and white picture of an old clawfoot tub tucked into a dark red silk skirt with white polkadots and a black velvet belt with black stiletto heeled ankle boots. Her chocolate brown hair hung over her shoulder in a loose French braid and her eyes were covered by a huge pair of black sunglasses.<p>

"Emerson Lane," he walked in her direction, saying her name loudly.

She turned, lifting her sunglasses and laughing when she recognized him, "Why are you talking so loud? Did you get hit in the ear or something?"

"I figured if I announce my presence a little early, I have less of a chance of scaring you again," he laughed.

"I appreciate the sentiment," she smiled, adding in a whisper, "But now you just look like a crazy person."

"That's not new," he joked, leaning against the counter.

"You have good timing," she said as the attendant returned with a cardboard box. Emerson signed for it, "These are your t-shirt samples."

"That was fast," he said, surprised. "I'd love to see them. You busy right now?"

"I was just about to get some lunch," she gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm starving."

"You know, I'm a little hungry, you wanna go together?" he asked.

Her brown eyes widened a fraction and she opened her mouth but closed it just as quickly.

Kofi got the sense that she was trying to come up with a nice way to say no.

"It was just an idea," he shrugged.

"I'd like to," her face went from anxious to a pleasant smile. "I mean, if you want to."

"You ready now?" he asked.

She nodded and he offered her his arm, "Where to?"

* * *

><p>Andy slowed her pace on the treadmill when she felt her phone start to buzz in her pocket. She pulled the phone out of her pocket, frowning when she saw an unfamiliar number. She recognized the area code though, 312. Chicago. Fear shot through her and she yanked her headphones out quickly, answering the call, praying everything was okay with her father and brother, "Hello?"<p>

"_Andy_, you're a fine girl, what a _good _wife you would be. Your eyes could steal a sailor from the sea."

She laughed, turning off the treadmill, immediately recognizing the voice. Scott Colton, better known as Colt Cabana, the only person she knew who insisted on inserting her name into any song that would fit. She sat down on a bench near the door of the gym as he continued his wonderfully off key take on Brandy.

"Colt, you're making my ears bleed," she finally cut him off.

"I had to make sure you knew it was me," he laughed cheerfully.

"Easier way to do that would be saying your name," she teased.

"Yeah but where's the fun in that?" she could hear him smiling.

"I haven't talked to you in..what like two years?" she marveled at how long it was. There was a time in her life when she talked to or saw him at least once a day.

"That sounds about right," he agreed. "You know, I've tried, Red."

Andy felt her cheeks get warm with a shameful blush, "I know. I'm sorry."

He was Phil's best friend in the world. Andy had loved him like a brother but after Phil left her, it was too painful to be around him. They tried a few times but Andy just couldn't handle it. She avoided him like the plague until she moved to Japan and when she came back, he'd called her a few times but inevitably the topic of Phil came up and Andy shut down. Finally, she just stopped answering again.

"So..I heard about the happy reunion."

"Of course you did," she said, using a towel to wipe her forehead. She couldn't be bothered to hide the irritation in her voice.

"Don't get testy, I just wanted to check on you," he assured her. "How are you?"

"Fine," she answered, looking down at her shoes. "I'm fine."

"Is your nose growing?" he asked.

"Not exactly," she smirked, touching the tip of her nose.

"Where are you tomorrow?" he asked.

"Columbus," she answered. She was boarding a flight to Ohio the next morning. "I'll be there all weekend."

"Well I'm in Dayton for an ROH show on Saturday," he explained. "So here's what we're gonna do. You and me, we're gonna meet halfway and have a drink. Deal?"

At first, she considered saying no but she knew he wouldn't have any of it. And, in truth, she missed him. It would be nice to see him.

"Okay," she agreed. "Tomorrow after the show?"

"Sounds good, Red," he said. "I'll call you tomorrow."

* * *

><p>Adam looked down at his watch and then back up at Laurel who was looking down at her salad. He felt like he'd just been through a police interrogation. Thus far, she'd asked him if he really slept with Matt Hardy's girlfriend, why he's been divorced twice, and if that 2007 ESPN article was true and he'd done steroids. He thought back to Randy telling him to make sure his blind date was a lunch date since it was easier to back out.<p>

He looked down at his watch again, this time making sure she saw it.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I just need to get to the arena soon," he explained. "Are you coming to the show tonight?"

"I'm not sure honestly, I'm not really big on wrestling," she shrugged. "But Stephanie told me there'd be a ticket for me if I wanted it."

"Well, you should come, its gonna be a good night," he said, trying to be polite. "Listen, I had a nice time and I hate to rush off but-"

"It's okay, you're a busy man," she smiled. "It was really nice meeting you."

"You too," he said, getting up and pulling some cash out of his wallet. He put enough down for the meal and a generous tip.

"I hope to see you again soon," she gave him a soft wave.

He forced a smile, "Yeah, that'd be nice."

* * *

><p>Emerson laughed as Kofi recounted his disastrous first live show before signing his WWE contract. He'd just pulled into a parking space behind the arena. She picked up the diet coke she'd taken to go from the diner where they ate lunch and he grabbed the box of t-shirt samples out of the back seat before they exited the car. Her phone chimed and she looked down, seeing that it was a text from Kendall. She looked at the time, realizing she was about a half hour later than she normally showed up for a show.<p>

"I should hurry in, there may be a wardrobe crisis," she said as he handed over the sample shirts. They'd decided on a few things to tweak and she would send in the changes once she got to work.

"I cant stand in the way of a wardrobe crisis," he laughed, popping his trunk and pulling out his gym bag.

She looked down at her phone and then back at him, biting her lip nervously. She had a great time at lunch with him. She wished she'd tried to get to know him sooner.

"Listen, a bunch of us are going out tonight to celebrate Jamie's first night…do you..wanna go?" she asked.

"Yeah, that'd be cool," he said, hefting the bag up onto his shoulder.

"You don't have to think about it or anything?"

"No, I'm free," he shrugged. "Sounds like fun. I'm assuming I shouldn't invite Phil, right?"

She laughed as they started walking toward the back doors, "Probably not the best idea. I'll let you know when I get all the details."

* * *

><p>Lilah rushed into the conference room, hoping everything was alright. Michael had come to find her, insisting that she had to get there right away for an emergency rewrite. She stopped when she saw two faces she wasn't expecting and not a single one that she was. Instead of Vince, Stephanie, and the rest of the writing staff, she found Andy and Cass sitting on the conference table. Cass was giving her an accusatory glare while Andy was smiling from ear to ear.<p>

"What's going on?" Lilah crossed her arms over her chest.

"You tell us Liles," she smirked. "What's going on with you?"

"We haven't heard from you much in the last few days," Cass raised a brow. "Why is that?"

"I've had a ton of work to do," Lilah answered quickly. "I have a ton to do right now. I cant believe you guys got Michael to trick me."

"It was a lot easier than I thought it would be," Andy smirked.

"He just wants to be liked," Cass shrugged. "And we needed to talk to you."

"About what?" Lilah asked, feeling her cheeks begin to flush. She was not very good at lying to her friends.

"Andy thinks you've been sneaking around with Mark," Cass explained. "Is that true?"

Lilah felt her face get hotter and hotter as she tried to form the word no.

Andy laughed, clapping her hands together and turning to Cass, "I told you! Pay up!"

"I am not paying anything until she confesses," Cass turned her eyes back to Lilah. "I don't think it's true because there's no way you'd be able to keep the secret. Which one of us is right?"

"You're both crazy," Lilah tried to sound superior as she shook her head. "You need other things to do with your lives. I'm not confessing to something I didn't do. The show briefing starts in 3 minutes. We don't have time for this."

Cass opened her mouth to speak but Lilah put a hand up, "No time. Come on, let's go."

Cass hopped down from the table, walking toward the door. She pointed at her best friend, "This isn't over."

Andy followed close behind, smiling at Lilah, "Way to go, Liles. I'm proud of you."

* * *

><p>"Hey, there he is," Randy said cheerfully when Adam walked into the locker room. "How was the big date lover boy?"<p>

"I would rather have gone out with you in a wig," Adam shook his head.

"Careful, I don't put out," Randy smirked. "Come on, how was it? Was she cute?"

"She wasn't bad looking," Adam shrugged. "But she was like a pit bull. She googled me and she had this laundry list of questions from Amy to steroids."

"Wow," Randy winced. "Is she a lawyer?"

"She owns a chain of upscale pet supply stores," Adam explained.

"Did you answer her questions?"

"Yeah, I did," he answered. "But after that, I got the hell out of there. It was just too weird."

"Sounds like it," Randy patted him on the shoulder.

"She doesn't even like animals," Adam laughed. "I told her about Cass's cats and-"

"You brought up _Cass_?" Randy made a face.

"I brought up the cats."

"_Cass's _cats," Randy clarified. "You don't bring up your ex on a date."

"It wasn't a big deal," Adam shrugged.

"Maybe not to you but it might've been to her," Randy pointed. "I'll bet you anything you're gonna hear about it from Stephanie."

Adam shook his head, "I doubt that."

* * *

><p>"Okay great, thank you," Andy hung up the phone and tossed it into her bag. She smiled over at Emme, "We're all good. The bar manager even offered us open bar for 3 hours. Apparently he's a big fan."<p>

Adrienne was setting up the party for Jamie's first night at a nearby bar. She always seemed to have someone throwing free things at her.

"I'm gonna pay him something of course but it was a nice offer," she shrugged.

"Did he ask for your phone number yet?" Emme smirked.

"You always assume men are hitting on me," Andy laughed.

"That's because they usually are honey," Emme patted her on the head. "So what's the name of this place anyway? I have to text the details to…I invited Kofi. Is that okay? I probably should have said something to you first. I'm sorry I just-"

"Em," Andy grabbed her friend's hand to stop her rambling. She could go on forever when she was anxious about something. Andy just couldn't figure out why she was anxious about this particular thing. "Of course it's okay."

"Are you sure?" Emerson winced.

"Yes, Em, I'm positive," Andy laughed. "Why would I have a problem with that?"

Emme gave her a look.

"I have no problem with Kofi," Andy assured her. "Although, I didn't realize you guys were friends."

"We're not exactly.._friends_," Emerson corrected. "We just..I've been working on some apparel with him and we went to lunch together today. He seems really nice."

Andy bit the inside of her cheek to keep a huge smile from spreading across her face. Apparently she didn't do a great job because Emme rolled her eyes, "Don't start."

"What?" Andy laughed. "I didn't say anything."

"I can see the look in your eyes," Emme pointed an accusatory finger at her.

"Okay, you go to lunch with Kofi and I'm just now hearing about it? What's going on here?" Andy put her hands on her hips. "Lilah's boning the dead man and you're going out on dates without saying a word? What is this world coming to?"

"Lilah's sleeping with Mark?" Emme's eyes went wide. "Is this confirmed?"

"Not _confirmed_ but _definitely_ happening," Andy smiled, eager to tell her best friend her theory. She shook the thought away, trying to focus, "Stop deflecting."

"I didn't go on a date," Emerson insisted. "I showed him some t-shirt prototypes over food. It was more like a business meeting."

"Do you like him?"

"Not in the way you're thinking," Emme answered but she didn't immediately meet Andy's eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"_Andy_!" Emme gave her an exasperated look.

"_What_?" Andy shrugged. "Come on, Em. You haven't shown any interest in a guy since-"

Emerson shot Andy a look that made her shut her mouth immediately. Things had gone so badly with the last person Emerson was interested in that she wouldn't allow her friends to utter his name. Andy's heart had broken for her best friend but she knew that eventually, she was going to find the guy that was perfect for her. That man would be the luckiest man in the world. "I'm sorry. I'm just excited."

"There's nothing to be excited about," Emerson insisted but when she turned away, Andy could see a blush slowly creeping up the back of her neck.


	12. Chapter 11

**Very sorry that it's taken me soooooo long to update. I'm going to be posting more regularly again now that life has slowed down a bit. For those who have been asking, I'll also be updating Truth in Deceit soon. On to the story, Read, Enjoy, and please Review!**

**Chapter 11…**

_Thursday Night…_

Randy looked down at his watch and then over at the bar where Andy was standing, signing a cocktail napkin for the bartender. He was a chubby guy who looked to be in his late 20's or early 30's wearing an old, worn Stone Cold t-shirt. Andy was laughing at something he said and Randy could see the guy's ego inflating from across the room. He couldn't blame him, Smackdown was on all of the bars TVs and he was clearly a fan. He'd drooled all over Jamie when she got their first round of drinks and after that she insisted that Andy go.

Andy's green eyes drifted toward him and she held up a finger, signaling that she would be back soon.

He gestured for her to hurry up and she rolled her eyes, laughing and turning back to the bartender.

After another minute or two of ogling, Andy returned, drinks in hand.

"I think he's in love," Randy smirked as she handed him the bottle of water he'd requested.

Andy shrugged, "He's sweet…Super clammy hands though."

"Sexy," Randy laughed.

She took a sip of her drink, resuming her seat beside him. His eyes drifted to her legs when she leaned back in her chair, crossing one over the other. She was wearing a black leather vest over a loose fitting short white dress that rode up a few inches with the motion, exposing her tan skin. She cleared her throat and he snapped out of his momentary trance, looking up to find an amused expression on her face.

"You okay there Orton?" she asked.

"Great," he nodded, rolling and stretching his neck and shoulders against a sudden onset of tension. He was really enjoying the time he was spending with Andy but he'd taken more cold showers since she'd been back than he had in the past year. He had not been remotely prepared for her 'take it slow' approach.

She laughed, "Maybe you should drink some of your water."

"That's a good idea," he said, downing a third of the bottle and setting it back down on the table.

They heard applause from a few tables away and saw Jamie, who was talking to Barbie, Paul, and Bryan Danielson. Randy looked up to see what they were clapping for, laughing when he saw Jamie walking down the ramp on Smackdown. She waited in the ring as the ring announcer explained that someone special had requested a match with Jamie. Kharma's maniacal laughter played through the arena and Jamie looked absolutely terrified when the other woman came out onto the ramp. As she walked to the ring, the camera zoomed in on an object in Kharma's hand. She was holding a Raggedy Ann doll by the hair. The match was a virtual squash with Kharma throwing Jamie around like a rag doll and Jamie executing very little offense. After hitting the Implant Buster on Jamie, Kharma stood up, pinning her with her foot. When the bell rang and her music began to play, she pulled Jamie up by the hair and started to rag doll her again. The crowd popped loudly as Andy ran out to the ring. Kharma slid out just as Andy was sliding in and Andy looked torn between helping her friend and chasing her adversary. She stayed with Jamie, helping her up while fixing an angry glare on Kharma, who was backing up the ramp, laughing her head off. Just before the show went to commercial break, Kharma held up the doll, ripping its head off. Jamie cheered again and a few others joined.

"She loves watching herself on TV," Andy laughed, shaking her head as a waitress brought over two shots and pointed back toward the waving bartender. Andy smiled, blowing him a kiss.

"Who doesn't like to see themselves on TV?" Randy shrugged.

"I don't always," Andy admitted.

"Lucky for you there's millions of people that do," he smirked.

She made a face, "There's millions for _you_ Legend Killer. For women it's more like a couple hundred thousand."

"Well now that you're back, that's gonna change, right?" he asked, his gaze challenging.

She nodded, "That's the goal."

"I don't know how you avoid watching yourself," he smirked. "I love watching my matches."

"Shocking," she gave him a wide eyed expression. She shrugged, "Sometimes I like it and sometimes I don't. I'm one of those clichéd 'own worst enemy' types. I'm always picking out what I could have done better."

"I've watched you," he smiled at her. "There isn't a whole hell of a lot you could do better."

"Thank you," she smiled.

"So what do we have here?" he gestured down to the shots.

"I'm gonna guess it's Tequila," she answered. "He asked what my kryptonite was."

He picked up the glasses, handing her one, "Good to know."

* * *

><p>"So, I heard you had an interesting lunch," Lilah stirred her drink with a straw, training her eyes on her cousin.<p>

He flinched, looking down into his own drink, "Oh yeah? Who did you talk to, Randy?"

"Even better," she said. "Stephanie."

He flinched again, "Is she mad?"

"No," Lilah answered. "She said she knows her friend can be a little intense."

"She's right about that," Adam nodded.

"She liked you though," Lilah explained. "Told Steph she'd _love_ to see you again."

"What?" Adam stared. If Lilah hadn't already assumed Adam wasn't interested, the look on his face would have been all the confirmation she needed.

She shrugged, "Apparently she thinks you handled yourself nicely."

"She means I didn't fall to the firing squad," Adam laughed. "You can tell Stephanie I'm not interested."

"You can tell her yourself, I don't work for you," she said, reaching for her purse when she heard her phone chime, signaling a text message.

"Thank God, I'd never be able to put up with your crap," he reached over to muss her hair.

"Adam Joseph," she smacked his hand away. "Not today."

"Why?" he laughed. "You got a hot date?"

She looked down at her phone where an unopened text from Mark beckoned like a light signal, "Nope."

"You're lying," he pointed.

"Why are we talking about me?" she asked, looking around for backup from no one in particular. "This conversation started with you and your date."

"Yeah but then you lied to me and now it's about you," his expression grew serious and Lilah rolled her eyes. She found it impossible to lie to Adam, she always had. When he looked at her all stern like that he was like a dose of annoying, Canadian truth serum.

"You're going out with Mark, aren't you?" he asked.

She narrowed her eyes, "Why would you think that?"

"There isn't much else that you wouldn't want to tell me about," he said. "Are you?"

"I'm not going out with him," she said, honestly. "_But_-"

"Please God don't tell me you're having sex with him," Adam squeezed his beer bottle, looking up at the ceiling. "I do not need this kind of drama."

"What drama?" Lilah asked defensively. "There's no drama."

"Damn it Lilah!" Adam let go of the beer, facing her again.

"What?" she exclaimed, her voice coming out a little louder than she intended. She smiled politely at a couple that turned to face them. When they turned away, she refocused her attention on Adam. "What is your problem?"

"What's yours?" he asked. "I've told you a million times that you don't need to be seeing anyone in this business."

"And I have always told you that I will make my own decisions," she insisted. "And I'm not _seeing_ Mark. It's purely physical."

"Jesus Christ," Adam looked up at the ceiling again. "I do not need to hear that."

"Why is it such a big deal?" she asked. "We're both adults. I'm not marrying the guy."

"Lilah, I've known Mark for a long time," Adam sighed. "He's not someone I want you getting involved with."

"I thought you two were friends."

"We are friends," he nodded. "That doesn't mean I trust him with you. Every relationship I've ever seen Mark have turns..sloppy."

"Well then I guess it's a good thing we're not in a relationship," Lilah said, feeling her face get red. She finished off her drink, gathering her purse and phone. "I've gotta go. I'll see you later."

* * *

><p>Cass walked toward the bar to get another drink. As she approached, she spotted Adam leaning against the bar, a strange expression settled onto his handsome face. She smiled at the bartender, standing beside her ex and ordering two shots of Jameson.<p>

She nudged him with her shoulder and he looked down, the corner of his mouth lifting when he saw her and the shot in her hand.

"You look like you need this," she handed it to him.

"I do," he said, tapping the shot glass against hers before downing the liquid.

She did the same and set her glass down next to his, "How was your date?"

He smiled sheepishly, "It was pretty awful, actually."

It was all she could do not to physically perk up. She knew that she shouldn't be happy but she couldn't help it. She held up two fingers to signal the bartender for another round of shots.

"Why was it so bad?" she asked.

"It was less date more interrogation," he laughed as their shots arrived. "She asked me about Amy, steroids, you name it."

"Wow," she laughed, picking up her drink.

"And she owns a pet store but she doesn't like pets," Adam laughed. "Who does that?"

She laughed, "She sounds…interesting."

"She also doesn't like your pet's names," Adam smirked.

"She's also a _bitch_," Cassandra snipped.

"How are they by the way?" he asked, tapping his glass against hers and tossing back another shot.

She followed suit, "They're good. Very good. Cute as ever. Tango's been a little bitchy lately though."

"You still leave them with Maggie?" he asked. For years, when she was on the road, Cassandra had left her animals with Lilah's sister Margaret.

She nodded, "I wish I could just bring them with me. I miss them so much."

"I miss those little nuts too," Adam laughed.

"How are the dogs?" she asked.

Adam had two adorable dogs that Cass had been absolutely in love with. Especially Frisco, a Siberian husky. Frisco adored her and listened to her more than Adam. She could still remember all the times when they would give him a bath in a kiddie pool in Adam's backyard and Frisco would freak out and run away until Cass could talk him into coming back.

"Frisco misses you," he said, pushing their empty shot glasses toward the bartender and nodding for more. "He still sleeps with one of your shoes that he chewed up."

Cass smiled, "I love that damn dog. I probably also loved that shoe."

They spent the next few minutes laughing and talking about their animals and Cass could feel the Jameson starting to get to her.

She nudged him with her shoulder again, "I'm sorry your date sucked."

"It did," he nodded, smiling down at her. 'But I don't really care that much."

* * *

><p>"So when did you decide to stop doing the Jamaican accent?" Emme laughed.<p>

Kofi was explaining to her and Andy how much he hated having done it because he had to keep it up at public appearances and interviews. He got to a point where he was doing it almost all of the time.

"I told Stephanie it was _Jamaican me crazy_ and she told the rest of the writers she thought it was stunting my growth," he laughed. "Never made me do it again."

"I just loved how abruptly it ended with _no_ explanation," Andy laughed.

"Except for that time Shawn said something about it on Raw," Emme laughed.

"That was pretty good," Kofi laughed. "I didn't even know he was gonna do that."

Randy returned to the table with drinks for everyone.

"The bartender wants me to tell you he's running out of pineapple juice for these things," Randy handed Emerson her pineapple margarita. "He says he can do strawberry next time."

"That'll work," Emme shrugged.

"He also wants to know if _you_ want another tequila shot," Randy handed Adrienne her vodka and cranberry.

"Sure, if one of you guys will do it with me," Andy shrugged.

Kofi was surprised. He'd seen Andy drink quite a bit but she seemed very composed. Randy looked like he had a good buzz going and Emerson had been laughing a lot louder than usual.

Kofi shrugged. He'd taken the last couple of shots the bartender sent over with her and Randy, "I'll do it."

"I'm out," Randy waved his hand, picking up the water he'd gotten himself.

"At least somebody here can hang," Andy laughed high fiving Kofi. "I think I'm gonna like hanging out with you."

"Glad to hear it," Kofi raised his beer in a toast. "Same to you."

He smiled over at Emerson, "And you."

He noticed that her cheeks flushed a little as she tapped her margarita glass against his beer bottle.

"What about me?" Randy feigned offense.

"I've been out with you before," Kofi laughed. "How do you guys put up with this ego?"

He looked over at Emerson but she no longer seemed to be paying attention to the conversation. She was playing with a napkin on the table, her eyes downcast.

"Em?" Andy reached over, touching her hand.

Emerson looked up, her eyes quickly flitting toward the door before focus on Andy, "Yeah?"

"You okay honey?"

Emerson insisted to Andy that she was fine and Kofi looked toward the door to see what she seemed to be avoiding. He saw Ted Dibiase Jr. and Cody Runnels walking in, flirting with some girls that were just leaving. He looked at Emerson again and noticed that, once again, she cast a quick glance toward the men and then her eyes went back to her napkin.

"I um..I'll be right back. Excuse me."

Emerson rushed off quickly, leaving everyone at the table confused.

"You think you should follow her?" Randy asked.

"I don't know what happened,'' Andy said.

"I think it has something to do with them," Kofi pointed towards Ted and Cody.

"_Shit_," they both spoke in unison.

"What am I missing?" Kofi asked.

Randy looked over at Adrienne and she sighed, her green eyes shooting daggers at the former Legacy members.

Randy seemed to realize that she was too angry to explain so he did. Over the next few minutes, Randy explained to Kofi about the bet that Ted and Cody made on Emerson and how upset she was when she found out that Ted had been toying with her. He was surprised that he hadn't heard about it. News usually traveled fast backstage. He couldn't say he was totally surprised at what they'd done. Ted and Cody weren't his favorite people either. They'd never done anything to him but they just rubbed him the wrong way. Even more so now that he knew what they'd done to Emme.

"I'll be right back," Kofi excused himself from the table. He walked toward the hallway where the bathrooms were located. He knew that they were single person rooms so Emerson wouldn't be hard to find. When he reached the door, he leaned against the wall, knocking lightly.

"Occupied," Emerson's shaky voice came through the door.

"It's Kofi," he explained. "I wanted to make sure you're okay."

After a few seconds, the door opened and she walked out slowly. Her eyes looked a little misty. She didn't seem to have been crying but she probably wasn't far from it. He felt for her. He couldn't understand why grown men would do something so immature and cruel.

"I'm fine, just getting a headache from all the booze and sugar," she explained. "I splashed some water on my face. I should be okay now."

"You know, people like Ted and Cody aren't worth your time, right?" he asked, ignoring her obvious lie.

"Andy told you?" she asked.

"Randy," he corrected.

Emerson nodded. She didn't seem angry or surprised. She shrugged, "It's not a big deal. I'm surprised there was anyone left who didn't know about it."

"I didn't," he shook his head. "But I do know that guys like that don't know what to do with a woman with more than half a brain. You're better off."

"Thanks," she smiled.

"You ready to go back to the table?" he offered his elbow to her.

She laughed, looping her arm through his, "Sure."

* * *

><p>Lilah rubbed her temple, hefting her purse up onto her shoulder as she stopped off of the elevator. She was exhausted. She was thoroughly enjoying all of the time she was spending with Mark but it was seriously detrimental to her sleep cycle. She was a person who was accustomed to at least 7 hours of sleep and since she'd started sleeping with Mark, she was averaging 4.<p>

She slowed her steps to her room when she saw a familiar, tall figure leaning against the wall next to her door. Mark uncrossed his arms when he saw her, waiting for her to come to him.

"And what, might I ask, are you doing here?" she asked.

"I was just about to knock again," he explained. "I thought maybe you didn't hear."

"So you just assumed that I was here?" she smirked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Mark shrugged before nodding, "Yeah, I did."

* * *

><p>Mark laughed at the offended look Lilah gave him when he answered her. Truthfully, he hadn't really assumed she was in her room; he just liked to ruffle her feathers. He'd come to her door <em>hoping<em> she was there and knocked first. He was about to call and ask where she was when she got off of the elevator.

"Calm down Blondie," he smirked. "Where were you?"

"Out with the girls," Lilah explained.

"Sounds like fun," he said dryly, prompting that annoyed expression to return to her face.

Mark didn't have anything against her friends. He'd worked with Emerson a lot on his ring gear and found her to be very pleasant and smart. He was definitely impressed by Adrienne in the ring, though he didn't know much about her outside of that. He didn't know anything about Cass except what he'd heard happened between her and Adam.

"My friends are very fun, thank you very much," she glared at him.

"Then why are you here?" he asked as she opened her door.

"Because I'm tired," she explained. She dropped her purse on the couch and looked over her shoulder at him, "You never answered me. What are you doing here? Booty Call?"

"I would never use the term booty call," Mark laughed. "But I will admit, I was hoping you were in a.._giving_ mood."

He could see that she was trying not to smile but she wasn't doing a very good job.

"Didn't I just say I was tired?" she crossed her arms over her chest. He walked over to her, "You did. And I understand that completely. I'm tired too. But we don't have to be at the airport until 9 tomorrow. You'll get to sleep in, I promise."

"Well when you put it that way," she smirked, allowing him to wrap his arms around her. "I guess I can make a little time for you."

* * *

><p>Cassandra bit her bottom lip, trying her best to train her eyes on her target. She squinted, holding a dart in her hand, wondering if it was really leaning the way it seemed to.<p>

"Don't mess up," Adam coached, standing close behind her and whispering in her ear. "This is big. This is the most important dart, you will ever throw."

She could feel herself starting to laugh and she clamped her free hand over her mouth to suppress a fit of giggles. Everyone was getting ready to leave and when it came time to pay their tab, both Adam and Cassandra insisted on taking care of it. Adam's suggestion was that they throw a dart and whoever was a better shot would get their way. Adam went first and his dart landed about two inches above the bulls eye, which was rather impressive considering his current state of inebriation. Cassandra had been trying to throw her own dart for almost 5 minutes but Adam kept trying to distract her. He would start coughing or yell something random. The last time he'd tickled her, leaving her sides feeling warm and tingly where he touched her. Now, with him so close, she was sure to lose.

She removed her hand from her mouth, taking a deep breath and then throwing the dart before Adam had time to do anything else. The dart landed at the very top of the dartboard, nowhere near Adam's or the bulls eye and they both burst into laughs.

"That is impressively bad, Cassie," Adam smirked.

"I hate when you call me that," she tried to give him her best angry glare.

"You also hate losing," he smirked, pulling out his wallet. "These things happen."

They walked back to the bar where the smiling bartender congratulated Adam on his victory.

Jamie walked over, putting an arm around Cass' shoulders, "You ready to go beautiful? We're waiting for you."

She pointed over to the door where Kofi and Emme were standing, laughing about something.

"I was thinking about having one more drink since Adam's paying," Cass laughed, looking up at him.

Adam shrugged, "I'm gonna take a cab back to the hotel. She can just ride with me. I'll make sure she makes it back to the hotel safe."

"You don't think you guys have had enough?" Jamie looked back and forth between the two of them.

"One more wont hurt," Cass insisted. "I'll be fine. I promise."

"Scout's honor," Adam laughed, holding up his hand, clearly trying to remember what the boy scout salute looked like.

"Okay," Jamie looked a little leery but she was never one to meddle. Cass appreciated that about her. Especially because, in this instance, there was nothing to meddle in. They were just going to have one more drink. "You kids have a good night."

"Bye Jamie," Adam waved and Cass blew her a kiss as she walked away.

"Well, looks like it's just me and you," Adam smirked at her.

She smiled, feeling her face start to get hot. She couldn't quite tell if it was the alcohol or Adam but she wasn't going to overanalyze. She ordered a vodka and cranberry and Adam asked for a beer, pulling out a stool for her.

"Just one more, right?" he smirked at her.

She nodded, trying to look stern, "Just one."

* * *

><p><em>1 Hour Later…<em>

Adam leaned against the wall, his eyes trained on Cass as she tried to find her room key in her black hole of a purse. He'd been trying his best all night not to stare at her but she didn't make it easy. She always looked so effortlessly beautiful. She was wearing jeans and a pale pink and white sleeveless silk shirt. She didn't seem to be wearing any makeup and her hair flowed in loose curls over her right shoulder. They'd walked to the hotel from the bar, with Cass taking off her heels halfway and carrying them in her hand. When they'd gotten close to her room, she'd drunkenly thrown them toward the door.

"Got it!" Cassandra exclaimed, holding something in the air triumphantly.

Adam laughed, shaking his head and pulling it out of her hand, showing her that she'd found a credit card.

"Good job," he said, tapping the card against her nose.

"Shutup," she laughed, taking her card back and resuming her search.

"Come on," Adam reached out, taking the purse out of her hands. "We'll go to my room and search this thing until we find it. I wanna sit down."

"Because you're drunk," she pointed at him.

"So are you," he laughed, hooking his own finger around hers and pulling her down the hall with him. His room was in the same floor so it didn't take them too long. He pulled his keycard out of his pocket and opened the door, gesturing for her to go first. She entered and he followed slowly behind her, feeling along the wall for a light switch. She was definitely right about him being drunk. He was pretty sure he just slapped the same spot on the wall 4 or 5 times. He laughed, moving forward. He didn't realize Cass had stopped moving and he bumped into her. She nearly fell forward but he grabbed her quickly, holding her up. His arms were around her stomach and he could feel her warm skin through the thin shirt. He knew he should let go right away but he didn't. She seemed to melt into him, the back of her head resting against his chest.

"You okay?" he asked, forcing words out to break the silence.

She slowly untangled herself from his arms and turned to face him.

The lights were still off but he could make out the contours of her face. The shape of her nose, her eyes, her lips. He knew that face so well, he could close his eyes and picture it perfectly. The urge to kiss her suddenly became so strong he felt as if there was a magnet pulling his lips to hers. He steered her so that her back was against the wall, leaning down. A noise in the hallway snapped him out of the trance he seemed to be in and he shook his head, taking a step away, "Stu probably wouldn't appreciate this."

He leaned against the opposite wall, finally finding the light switch and flipping it. He looked over at her and was surprised to see that her green eyes were beginning to tear up.

"He wouldn't care," Cass shook her head. "He _shouldn't_."

"Do you know why I'm with Stu?" she looked up at him.

Adam shrugged. He couldn't say it was something he tried to think about too much.

"He doesn't have any expectations. He doesn't want anything from me. Stu doesn't take this seriously," she said. "And neither do I."

Adam wasn't sure what to say or do. He'd never known Cass to be an emotional drunk so he couldn't figure out where this was coming from.

She slid down, sitting on the floor, looking down at her hands. When her eyes met his again, Adam felt moving to sit next to her before he even thought about it. He couldn't stand to see her cry.

"You're the only man I can ever say I really loved," she admitted, staring at her hands again. "And I _completely_ messed that up. I'm never gonna find the right person..because I'm not the right person for anyone. I'm like.._poison_."

"Cass, that's not true," he leaned his head against the wall.

"You have no idea," Cass shook her head. "I've made so many mistakes, things that nobody even knows about. Not you, not even Lilah. I always mess things up."

"Cass-"

"It's true," she insisted. "I just hope you know that I really did love you. I know I screwed up but…"

She sniffed, looking down at her hands. Adam moved so that he was in front of her, tilting up her chin to make her look him in the eye, "I loved you too."

Cass moved forward, pressing her lips to his. Adam was caught off guard and he pulled away, staring at her.

"I'm sorry," she looked upset. "I shouldn't have-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Adam pulled her to him, kissing her softly. He hadn't realized how much he missed the feel of her lips that moment. His arms encircled his neck, pulling him closer to her. He wasn't sure how long it took but soon she was tugging at the bottom of his shirt. He broke the kiss long enough to rip the shirt off over his head and toss it away. She started kissing his neck and a groan escaped him while he started unbuttoning her shirt. He was having trouble focusing on the buttons and when she hit a particularly sensitive spot, he ripped the shirt open, sending the remaining buttons scattering across the floor. He grabbed her hair, directing her kisses back to his mouth, lying her down on the floor. Her nails scratched across the back of his neck as he reached between them, unzipping her jeans. He trailed kisses down her neck, between her breasts, and over her stomach, stopping when he reached the top of her pants. He was about to slide them off of her when a loud guitar chord ripped him out of his thoughts. It startled her too and she propped up on her elbows. Both of them looked for the source of the noise and Adam quickly found it. Her phone had slid out of her purse and was near them on the floor. The screen showed a close up picture of Cass and Stu. He was looking into the camera smiling and she was giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Adam instantly felt sober. And guilty. He moved away from her, sitting with his back against the wall.

"Adam…" she sat up, running a hand over her messy hair. She grabbed the phone, stopping the music.

"We can't do this," he shook his head.

"I-"

He shook his head again, stopping her from saying anything.

"I should probably go," she said quietly, reaching over and grabbing her shirt. Adam could feel her looking at him but he didn't meet her gaze. If he did, he might have changed his mind and he knew that wasn't the right thing to do in this situation. She stood up slowly, dropping her phone into her purse and walking toward the door. She stalled for a moment but Adam just stared at the wall in front of him until he heard the door open and close behind her.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you all still like the story! I'll try to post more this weekend!<strong>


	13. Chapter 12

**As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!  
><strong>

**Chapter 12…**

_Friday…_

Cassandra groaned, trying to open her eyes. Her eyelids felt as if they were glued together and her mouth tasted chalky and dry. When she finally managed to get her eyes to open, she immediately put up a hand to shield herself from the bright sun. She sat up slowly, her head pounding, and looked around. She was in bed in a room that was not hers. She looked around, feeling relief when she spotted a set of houndstooth print suitcases that she recognized as Andy's.

She rubbed her hands over her eyes, willing her brain to stop trying to escape through her ears. Her entire head seemed to be throbbing. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the door open. She removed her hands from her eyes and saw Andy coming in holding two McDonald's bags, a cup of orange juice, and a cup of coffee.

"Morning sunshine," Andy walked over, handing her the coffee and one of the bags.

"Bless you," Cass accepted the coffee. She took a sip, feeling herself relax a little. It was exactly how she liked it. Moments like this made her love her friends even more. "What time is it?"

"Just after 10," Andy answered, sitting down beside her.

"I don't even remember coming here last night," Cass admitted.

"You were really upset..And also pretty drunk," Andy explained. "I could tell you'd been crying but you didn't want to talk about what happened. I was still standing at the door trying to figure out what was going on when you climbed into the bed and hogged all the covers. I slept on the couch. You tend to sleep all over the place."

"Sorry," Cass smiled sheepishly.

Andy shrugged, clearly not upset. "What happened?"

Cass thought back to what happened between her and Adam. She could still feel his lips on hers. She sighed, drinking more of her coffee, "I don't really wanna talk about it. I don't even really _know_ what happened yet."

"No pressure," Andy assured her. "If you change your mind or you want some help figuring it out, you always know how to find me."

Cass put her coffee down on the table in front of her and walked into the bathroom. She closed the door behind her and then turned, looking at herself in the mirror. She turned on the water, splashing some on her face, tensing at the cold. She grabbed a towel and dried off then looked at herself again. She thought back to the night before. Adam had flirted with her all night. He kissed her. And then he stopped. He pulled away and left her incredibly confused.

She took a deep breath and walked out of the room, smiling at her friend, "Thanks for putting up with me last night."

"Anytime," Andy shrugged.

"I think I'm just gonna go to my room and get dressed."

"Don't forget your food," Andy handed her the bag and her coffee.

"You're the best," Cass smiled.

Andy laughed, "I try."

* * *

><p>Lilah held her shirt against her chest, looking around for her pants. She had no idea where they could be. When Mark took them off, she hadn't exactly been paying attention to where he threw them. She tip toed around to his side of the bed, scanning the floor there. She finally spotted them but before she could grab them, she felt Mark's big hand wrap around her thigh and pull at her leg.<p>

"Get back into bed," he grumbled, his other arm draped over his face, shielding it from the sun.

"I would love to but I can't," she smiled, wriggling out of his grasp. "Steph and I are having breakfast. And after last night, I think you're a little too tired to keep me here."

"You may be right about that," he smirked, moving his arm so she could see his green eyes. She pulled on her shirt, though she was tempted to stay. She knew it wasn't a good idea. She'd be there all day. She needed to go to her room, shower and change. She knew she couldn't shower there without Mark trying to join her.

"Tell Stephanie I say Hi," he teased.

She found her pants, slipping them on, "Not a chance."

* * *

><p>Cass padded toward the door, trying not to yell at whoever was knocking. It wasn't their fault she was hung over and had just fallen asleep when they decided to knock on her door. She debated pulling on a pair of pants but decided against it. She was wearing a worn Def Leppard t-shirt that hung past her knees. That was decent enough. She swung the door open without checking the peep hole and was surprised to see Adam standing in the hallway. He was wearing a pair of sunglasses and she wondered if he was feeling the after effects of their drinking binge as much as she was. She also found herself regretting that decision to forgo pants..or look in the mirror. She tried to be casual as she attempted to run a hand through her tangled hair, "Hi."<p>

"Hey," he nodded toward her.

His shoulders looked tense and he had shoved his hands in his pockets. She got the impression that this wasn't going to be a happy visit and her heart began to sink.

"What are you doing here?" she asked when he hadn't said anything for a few seconds.

"I wanted to talk to you about last night," Adam explained.

"Yeah I figured eventually we would have to do that," she laughed uncomfortably. "Do you wanna come in?"

"Not really," he answered.

She cleared her throat, trying to keep a neutral expression, "Okay. Well..Last night.."

"Last night was a _mistake_ Cass," he said.

She opened her mouth to say something but decided against it, closing it and looking down at the floor. She wasn't exactly sure what to say.

"I don't know why I let you do this to me," he shook his head. "You get into my head and then.."

She stared at him as he trailed off, looking down the hall.

"And then _what_ Adam?" she asked, feeling her face grow warm. "Are you accusing me of _manipulating_ you? _Why_ would I do that?"

"I don't know Cass, I don't know why you do a lot of things," Adam shrugged. "You're dating someone else but last night you were all over me."

She opened her mouth again but he cut her off, "You can say you're not together all you want but I know you. Nothing is ever simple."

"Adam what happened between us last night..it just _happened_. It wasn't some plan I'd had brewing for weeks. I didn't _manipulate_ you. I didn't _force_ you into anything. You had just as much to do with it as I did."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, "I'm not the one who's involved with someone else."

She looked away, jaw her jaw clenched tightly. She knew that she was no angel. She knew that she'd hurt him in the past and she still felt badly about it but this was unfair. He made it sound like she was some carnal black widow and he was just a simple fly who'd gotten stuck in her web. He didn't acknowledge the fact that when _he_ had kissed _her_, he was well aware of her involvement with Stu. She couldn't point this out to him though. She knew Adam's style of arguing all too well. Once he'd decided how something went, there was no convincing him otherwise. If he had decided the sky was purple, showing him picture proof that it was blue didn't matter. She crossed her arms over her chest, looking down at her bare feet and then back up at him, "So, what now then?"

"I hope for Stu's sake that he doesn't get too serious about you. If he does, I hope you can keep from doing to him what you did to me."

"Adam-"

"I'm gonna go," he shook his head. "I'll see you around."

* * *

><p>Andy knocked on the door to Randy's room and then quickly went back to finishing a text message to Emerson. She was having lunch with Kofi once again and Andy wanted to know how it was going.<p>

She heard the door open and she looked up, nearly dropping her phone when she saw him. He seemed to have just gotten out of the shower. He had a white towel wrapped around his lower half and he was still dripping wet. He smelled like soap and he had that damned cocky smirk on his face. Obviously, she had seen him in next to nothing before, his wrestling trunks weren't exactly demure but there was a difference between seeing someone in trunks in a ring and seeing them half naked in a private setting. She cleared her throat, hitting send on her text though, upon further review, she hadn't actually finished it.

"Hey, you're early," he smiled.

"No actually, I'm right on time," she countered, looking at her phone. Actually, she was 3 minutes later. She had told him she would meet him at his room at 12 so they could go to the gym. "Do you want me to come back or-"

"I just have to get dressed, it'll take two seconds, he held the door open wide. "Come on in."

The room smelled so good after his shower that she considered holding her nose to keep from becoming completely intoxicated. He grabbed a pair of boxers out of his bag and headed to the bathroom, "You can sit if you want."

"Mmhmm," she nodded absently. She walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge of it. When she heard the bathroom door open, she got up quickly. She knew what Randy was trying to do and coming out to find her sitting on the bed would not do anything to discourage him.

Andy was no stranger to sex. She enjoyed it thoroughly and, in all honesty, had never really been the take it slow type. But she was trying to turn over a new leaf. Randy had been her friend for a long time and she didn't want whatever they had turning into a muddled mess like Cass and Stu. She knew that, to some extent, Randy understood that. She also knew that he was a red blooded male who had admittedly fantasized about sex with her in the past. He came out of the bathroom in his boxers and Andy crossed her arms over her chest. He pulled a pair of jeans out of his bag and she momentarily thought about what a shame it was to cover his body with clothes. Damn him, he was using her libido against her. That was dirty pool.

* * *

><p>Randy pretended he didn't notice the daggers shooting at him from Andy's green eyes.<p>

She looked flushed.

He smiled, pulling on his jeans, "You okay?"

She nodded, "I'm great. It's just hot in here."

"Really?" he asked. "The air is blasting."

He walked over to her, standing close in front of her, "Are you sure you're feeling okay? Maybe we should skip the gym."

He touched the side of her neck gently, his thumb brushing the skin just below her ear.

"You are not being fair," she said, her eyes drifting closed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he looked down at her. He knew that he wasn't being fair but he also wasn't doing anything wrong. They were two consenting adults who were extremely attracted to each other. He knew she wanted to be careful not to rush but with the level of tension constantly hanging between them, he didn't think they would be rushing anything. And, frankly, he just didn't think he could wait much longer.

He kissed her lips softly and then trailed kisses down her neck and across her shoulder. He moved to stand behind her, his hand sliding under her shirt. He heard her breath catch when he kissed the spot where her neck and shoulder met. He lifted the hem of her shirt and she raised her arms, allowing him to slide it off. He smiled when she turned to face him, "Okay, Orton. You win."

He smiled back at her, "I always do."

* * *

><p>Phil yawned as he walked into the restaurant, pulling off his sunglasses. He had only slept about 2 hours the night before which wasn't exactly uncommon. He wasn't an 8 hours a night kind of guy. When he woke up, he'd texted Kofi to find out where he was and when he told him he was out to lunch, Phil decided to join him. He spotted Kofi after a few seconds of looking around and, to his surprise, his friend wasn't alone. He was laughing and talking with Emerson Lane. Phil rolled his eyes and debating turning around and walking out but he was starving. He looked around for another empty table.<p>

"Phil! Over here!"

He sighed when Kofi spotted him. This was sure to be fun.

"Hey," he walked over, not bothering to hide his displeasure.

Kofi shrugged, "You asked where I was, you didn't ask if I was alone."

"You didn't tell him I was here?" Emme smacked Kofi lightly on the arm.

Kofi laughed, "He didn't ask."

"You knew I was coming?" Phil asked Emerson.

She nodded, "Yeah, no big deal."

"Don't you hate me?" Phil asked.

Emerson shrugged, "Neither you or Andy really seems willing to tell the whole story about what happened between you so without that, I can't really hate you."

"What about that time you bumrushed me in the locker room?" Phil asked, taking a seat.

"That you deserved," she shrugged.

Phil laughed, more out of surprise than amusement. She was honest.

"Stay and eat," Emerson advised. "I promise not to bite your head off."

"Thanks for that," Phil laughed, looking through a menu.

The waitress arrived shortly after and took Emerson's order first. She ordered whole wheat pancakes and hashbrowns, precisely what Phil had planned to order.

After the waitress wrote everything down and left, Kofi nudged him, laughing, "See, you have more in common than you thought."

Emerson rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

After a little over an hour, Phil was surprised to find that he was actually enjoying himself. Emerson actually seemed pretty cool. She was smart, funny, and if you asked her a simple question about her job, she could go on forever. He liked people that cared about their work that much.

"I'll be right back," Emerson put her napkin on the table, excusing herself.

"See, told you you'd be friends," Kofi smiled.

"Friends is a bit strong but..she's not all bad," Phil shrugged. "You obviously like her so she's fine with me."

"I do like her," Kofi nodded. "She's really fun to spend time with. We don't exactly like the same stuff but I don't know..it's just easy to be around her."

Phil frowned. When he said that Kofi obviously liked her, he'd meant as a friend. Kofi sounded like he was speaking in a less platonic sense.

"Just be careful bro," Phil pointed his fork at him.

"Careful?" Kofi smirked. "Come on now, it's not like that."

"What's not like what?" Emerson asked, coming back to her seat next to Kofi.

Phil shrugged, "Nothin'."

* * *

><p><em>7 PM<em>

Andy pulled a brush through her hair, stifling a yawn. She was blissfully exhausted thanks to her afternoon in Randy's room. Their trip to the gym was quickly forgotten thanks to Randy's devious tactics and they'd treated each other to hours of..'very pleasant company' as she'd described it to Emerson. Regrettably, she'd had to leave to get ready for drinks with Colt. Randy had tried his best to convince her to reschedule with her friend but she knew that he would be upset. After all the time she'd spent ignoring him, once again, he had been the one to reach out to her. She couldn't bail.

"Do you wanna come with?" She leaned out of the bathroom, talking to Emme who was laying on the couch, looking at something on her sketchpad. She noticed a smirk on her best friend's face and walked over to investigate.

Emerson obviously hadn't heard her coming and jumped, nearly tossing the electronic pad into the air when Andy leaned against the back of the couch.

"Good lord, we've gotta get you meds for that," Andy shook her head. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Just working on this shirt for Adam," she showed her the design.

"I figured it would be something for Kofi," Andy teased, walking back to the bathroom.

"And why would you think that?" Emerson asked.

"Because you had this look on your face," Andy smiled. "That schoolgirl crush look."

"Well I can assure you, I don't have a schoolgirl crush or any other kind on Adam," Emerson walked over, leaning against the doorjamb. "That would be far too weird at this point."

Andy nodded in agreement. "So..if you weren't working on something for Kofi…were you thinking about something he said?"

Emerson opened her mouth to protest but at the same time, her cheeks turned red.

Andy slapped her brush against her own hand, "I knew it! Em, you have got to stop pretending you don't like him. He's nice, funny, good looking. What's the big deal?"

"There is no big deal," Emerson shrugged. "You're just wrong."

Andy rolled her eyes, "Fine, fine. Live in denial. But when I end up being right and you two get together, expect a big fat I Told You So."

* * *

><p>Cass twisted the top back onto her lip gloss and looked at herself in the mirror. Fortunately for her, Stu was running a little behind. She had changed her dress 3 times and, in turn, had to change her makeup each time. He had called a few hours earlier and said that as soon as he got into town, he wanted to take her to dinner. He'd made reservations at an expensive steakhouse that he liked. After her confrontation with Adam earlier, she considered saying no and wallowing in her room but when she hesitated, Stu told her that he really wanted to see her and after the morning she had, she couldn't say no to that.<p>

There was a knock at the door and she grabbed her shoes, hopping toward the door as she put them on. She pulled it open and before she saw Stu, she saw a large bouquet of pale pink roses.

"Sorry I'm late," he handed them to her.

"No need to apologize," she smiled, sniffing the flowers.

"My father always told me, you never keep a beautiful woman waiting," he said, watching as she picked up her purse.

"Your father was a very wise man," she smiled. "I'm ready whenever you are."

He opened the door for her, "So how was the party for Jamie last night?"

She shrugged, "Uneventful."


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Andy walked into the restaurant, smiling at the place Scott had chosen. It was a cheesy, movie themed restaurant. From the sign on the door, she could see that the staff dressed as characters from a different movie every night. The theme for that night seemed to be Pulp Fiction.

"How many?" a miserable looking hostess in a crooked black wig asked.

"I'm meeting someone actually," she smiled.

The hostess walked away without a word and Andy laughed, looking around for her friend. She soon spotted him sitting at a table in the back corner. She made her way toward the table and he spotted her when she was about halfway there. He smiled from ear to ear, getting up from his chair and rushing toward her, "Red!"

He nearly knocked the wind out of her, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her off of the ground.

"Colt, you're crushing me," she laughed, though she was hugging him back with almost the same ferocity. She hadn't realized how much she missed him until she saw him. She wasn't one to have a lot of regrets in her life but she definitely regretted falling out of touch with him. He had been a huge part of her life. He wasn't just Phil's best friend, he was like a big brother to her.

He put her down but kept hugging her, wrapping an arm around her neck. He used his other hand to muss her hair.

"Colt!" she wriggled out of his grasp. He'd always treated her like he would a little brother.

"I wasn't sure you were gonna show," he smiled, as they walked to the table.

"I briefly considered that option," she admitted. "But..it's been way too long."

"It has," he agreed, waving over a waiter. "But that ends today."

"What can I get for you?" the waiter asked Andy.

She ordered iced tea and they decided on a platter of nachos.

"So how are things?" he asked, resting his elbows on the table.

"Things are good," she shrugged. "I'm back to work so I'm happy. I was miserable sitting at home."

"I was miserable watching Divas matches while you were sitting at home," he smirked. "You're pretty bad ass, you know that?"

"I've heard rumors," she dramatically flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Seriously, I haven't had a chance to tell you this," he said. "But I'm proud of you. All the work you put in, moving to Japan on your own like that, paying your dues. You're the best this business has seen in a long time. I always knew you had it in you."

She scrunched up her face, feeling just the slightest hint of tears coming on.

"That's the last sappy thing I'll say tonight," he laughed.

"Thanks Colt," she said, putting her hand over his. "Really, for everything. I know I haven't been the best friend for a while but..I really do appreciate everything you ever did for me."

"You better," he laughed. He was about to say something else but his phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket and then gave her an apologetic look, "I gotta take this. I'll be right back."

"Take your time," she waved.

He patted her on the head before walking away. She smiled, watching as he walked out the front door. She felt good knowing that things weren't awkward between them. She knew, without question, that she wouldn't be falling out of touch with him again.

* * *

><p>Phil put his rental car in park, turning off the engine when he saw his best friend. He stuffed his keys in his pocket as he got out of the car, waving.<p>

"You're late," Colt laughed, giving him a quick hug.

"I had to stop for gas," Phil explained. He looked up at the sign above the restaurant and laughed, shaking his head, "This place looks ridiculous."

"It is," Scott laughed. "That's why I picked it. Come on, I got a surprise for you."

Phil frowned, following Scott through the front doors. It was great to see his friend after everything that had happened lately. They walked through rows of tables and Phil slowed when he saw that they were headed toward a table with a group of people around it. He saw a familiar shock of red hair in the middle of the group. His eyes narrowed and he turned to Colt, ready to wring his neck.

"Really?" Phil glared. "Are you kidding me?"

Andy was in the middle of a group of fans, signing cocktail napkins and posing for cell phone pictures.

"Holy shit, CM Punk!" someone yelled.

Andy's eyes went wide and Phil sighed, glaring at Colt again, "You're dead."

The group came over and Phil put on the most pleasant expression he could muster. The next few minutes were spent with all three of them signing autographs. When the crowd dissipated, Andy snatched her cell phone and purse from the table, stomping away. She only made a few steps before Colt grabbed her around the waist, lifting her off her feet.

"Put me down you sneaky fuck," she angrily kicked her feet.

"Gladly," he pulled out her chair, dropping her into it and blocking her exit.

Andy's green eyes burned a hole in Phil from over Colt's shoulder.

"I had _nothing _to do with this," Phil put his hands up.

"Oh _bullshit_, this wouldn't be the first time you conspired with one of my friends to set me up," she spat.

"Do I need to remind you that Colt is _my_ friend?" he said, annoyed. "You haven't spoken to him in years."

"And whose fault is that?" she glared.

"_Mine _Andy," Phil laughed. "_Of course_. _I_ made you stop talking to your friends. Anything bad you've ever done is my fault."

"You-"

"Mom, Dad, I hate when you fight," Colt interrupted her.

"Shut up!" They both yelled.

"No both of you shut up," Colt pointed at both of them. "You should both sit down and shut up because you're not going anywhere until you talk."

* * *

><p>"I just have to say you have been doing a fantastic job with Mark," Stephanie smiled across the table at Lilah. "He has nothing but good things to say about you after that first meeting."<p>

"Damn right he does," Lilah mumbled, sipping her drink.

"I've been meaning to talk to you," Stephanie's smile widened. "I noticed a lot of _tension_ at our last meeting with Mark and Alberto."

Lilah took a larger drink, trying to keep a neutral expression. She had tried so hard to make sure no one noticed anything between them.

"Is there something going on with you and Alberto?"

Lilah coughed, nearly choking on her drink, "_Alberto_?"

"Yes," Stephanie nodded. "I noticed that you were sitting close and you kept laughing at each other's jokes."

Lilah laughed, shaking her head, "Honey, trust me, I'm not interested in Alberto."

"Okay maybe I read it wrong," Stephanie shrugged. "That's probably better for you, he's not bad to look at but I hear he's a bit of a slut."

Lilah laughed, she had heard something to the same effect.

"You know..come to think of it, I haven't seen you with anyone lately," Stephanie frowned.

"Maybe because you've been working me like a dog," Lilah smirked. "I'm always busy."

"You should never be too busy to get laid," Stephanie pointed. "I work even more than you and deal with 3 kids but I-"

"I don't think I need to know where this is going," Lilah laughed. "You do remember that I have to look your husband in the face every day, right?"

"I'm just saying..make time," Stephanie shrugged. "There's quite a few guys that are interested. 2 that I can think of on the writing team. That new marketing guy. My neighbor Neil has asked about you the last few times we were home. You remember him don't you?"

"I remember that his name is Neil and that's all I really need to know," Lilah made a face, shaking her head.

"What about Shawn?" Stephanie smiled excitedly.

"Shawn Michaels?" Lilah asked, surprised at the suggestion. "The one who's going through a divorce?"

"You two spend a lot of time together. You obviously get along famously and he may be a little older but he's still the heart break kid. He could charm the pants off of anyone."

"I don't think Shawn's trying to charm anyone's pants off right now Steph," Lilah shook her head. Stephanie had some points, she did really enjoy spending time with Shawn but part of what had bonded them together was the long talks they had when he first found out his wife was filing for divorce. "I don't think he's looking for a relationship and neither am I. I'm just fine, but thank you for the concern."  
>"As long as you know I care," Stephanie shrugged. "Just keep it in mind."<p>

* * *

><p>Scott looked back and forth between his friends, sighing deeply. This was even worse than he thought it was going to be. They'd been there for an hour and so far, Andy had finished 3 beers and was on her second Long Island. Phil was watching a replay of a baseball game on the TV above Andy's head, completely silent. Andy had her chin propped up in her left hand, straw stuck in her mouth. She'd been using the other hand to text for the last 10 or 15 minutes, her message tone going off over and over again. He normally wasn't the type of person to meddle in other people's business this way but he couldn't help it. He loved the two of them like family and he wanted them to be happy. They didn't have to be together but he hated knowing there was so much animosity between them. Years ago, he'd never seen two people more in love. He would never have expected to see them like this.<p>

"You two should really start talking," he looked down at the clock on his cell phone.

Phil cleared his throat, not taking his eyes off of the TV. Andy laughed at something on her phone. Her message tone went off again and before she could react, Colt snatched the phone away from her, shoving it into his pocket.

"What the _hell_?" she glared at him.

"This is ridiculous," Colt shook his head. "What's wrong with you people? It can't be that hard to sit and talk to someone."

"_What _would you like us to talk about Colt?" Phil finally turned away from the game, folding his hands together on the table. "Because no matter what I say, _Adrienne _turns the conversation back to what an asshole I am."

"Well _Adrienne _wouldn't _do _that if youdidn't make it so damn _easy_," she glared.

Colt shook his head, "Well this is gonna be a fun night."

* * *

><p>Stu signaled for the waiter to refill their wine glasses, laughing as Cassandra detailed her attempt to interrogate Phil while taping for her show. They were having a great night. It was nice that things were comfortable between them again. When she lost her temper with him after hearing that Adam was going on a blind date, he'd assumed things between them would be over soon but now she seemed to be back to normal.<p>

"Are you _sure_ nothing happened while I was away?" he asked.

"Positive," she smiled. "How was your trip?"

He pulled out his phone and showed her pictures from an appearance he'd done at a children's hospital. When they finished, he closed the gallery and his phone went to his home screen. She frowned, taking the phone from him.

"Who are _they_?"

Stu laughed, shaking his head and pulling the phone away from her. He pointed first to the woman on his left, "_That_ is my sister Stella. And the other one is my baby sister Jane."

"Sisters," Cass smiled sheepishly. "Nice."

Stu laughed, "Stella lives in New York and Jane was visiting for a few days so we all had lunch while I was there."

"I didn't realize you had sisters," Cass explained.

"I'm surprised, I thought I'd mentioned them," Stu said.

"Are you close?"

"Very," he confirmed. "My whole family is close, if a bit overbearing. Is yours? I never really hear you talk about them."

She looked down at her food and then back up at him. She seemed to be thinking hard about how to answer. Then, she picked up her wine glass and shrugged, "I don't really have any…How's your steak?"

He chose not to press any further on what seemed to be a touchy subject.

"The steak is wonderful," he answered. "The company is even better."

* * *

><p>Phil rubbed his forehead as Colt talked. A half hour had passed since Colt took Andy's phone and forced them to start talking. After the initial blow up, he'd tried asking them questions and they both gave one word answers.<p>

"So…are you seeing anyone?" Colt asked Andy.

"Haven't you heard? She's got a new boyfriend," Phil smirked. "Randy Orton."

"You and _Randy Orton_?" Colt stared.

"He isn't my boyfriend," Andy glared at Phil. "Not that it's any of your business."

"Didn't say it was Sunshine," Phil shook his head.

"Okay fine, maybe that wasn't the best topic of conversation," Colt sighed.

If Phil hadn't been so pissed at his best friend, he would have felt bad for him. His heart was clearly in the right place but he obviously had no idea how much things had changed. Phil didn't even fully understand it.

"You guys remember that time we went to Great America and Andy got stuck on the American Eagle?" Colt smirked.

Phil laughed involuntarily. He remembered that day very clearly. Phil and Colt were on a card at the amusement park and after their matches, they had free reign of the park. They waited in line forever to ride the American Eagle and then when their ride was over, all of the safety bars came up except for Andy's.

"They couldn't get you out so they just kept offering you free rides," Phil looked over at her.

Andy bit her bottom lip, looking away.

"He rode with you like 3 more times," Colt laughed.

"Four," Phil corrected, finishing off his bottle of water.

They were quiet for a few seconds; Andy rested her chin in her hand, still not saying anything. Phil couldn't read her. Her expression was blank.

"By the time they finally got you off the ride, they were scared Phil might have whiplash," Scott laughed.

"You probably don't even remember it," Phil waved. He remembered the night vividly but he couldn't expect her to. She'd spent years trying her best to pretend he didn't exist. He had to admit though, it stung.

Andy turned to him, her eyes meeting his, "You couldn't even walk in a straight line. The guy that ran the ride wanted you to get checked out but you _insisted _that you were fine. Colt had to drive us to your apartment. That was the first time I ever spent the night at your place."

"It was?" Colt looked genuinely surprised.

Phil nodded.

Andy shrugged, "I couldn't leave him like that. He was practically walking into walls."

"She put me in my bed and rubbed my head until the room stopped spinning," Phil explained.

"This story doesn't get dirty, does it?" Colt asked.

"No," Andy finally let a laugh escape her. "We didn't have sex. He put his head in my lap and I watched Daria until he fell asleep. I slept sitting up so I wouldn't have to wake him and had the world's worst neck ache for the next week."

When Andy finished talking, she looked down at her drink, swirling the ice around with her straw.

"Wow, so you mean there was a time when you didn't hate each other?" Colt asked.

"Is there a point to this trip down memory lane?" Andy asked.

"The point is that I want you to remember that you haven't always been so angry," Colt explained.

"It doesn't matter," Andy shook her head. "I'm this angry now. Nothing's gonna change that. Reminding me of how great things were before he left me doesn't seem like a great plan. It just makes it worse."

"I'm amazed you can even admit that things used to be good," Phil leaned back in his chair. The momentary calm Colt had created with the memory was quickly washed away.

"Oh yeah, things were great," Andy smiled. "At least that's what _I_ thought. Apparently you felt differently."

Phil rolled his eyes, turning his attention to Scott, "Is this what you envisioned when you planned this little parent trap trick?"

"For parent trap, I would need a twin," Colt joked.

Both of them glared at him and he shrugged, "Honestly guys, I didn't think either of you would make it _this_ hard. Color me surprised."

_Half Hour Later…_

"Well gentleman, this little experiment has been fun," Andy opened her purse and pulled out some cash, setting it down on the table. "But I have to go."

Colt was disappointed but he knew that he couldn't hold either of them hostage any longer. It wasn't helping anything. He pulled her phone out of his pocket, sliding it over to her.

"Thank you," she said, picking it up quickly. She pulled out her keys, stepping down off of the barstool. When her heels made contact with the floor she slipped, grabbing onto the table to hold herself up. A small giggle escaped her and Scott sighed. She'd had quite a few drinks and seemed to be handling her liquor rather well but there was no way he could let her drive in good conscience.

"Okay, Red," he smiled at her. "I'll give you a ride."

"I've had enough of your help for the day, thanks," she sneered. She tried to walk away but her steps were uneven.

Scott shot Phil a look and he got up, gently grabbing her arm, turning her back toward the table.

"_What_ are you doing?" she glared at Phil.

"You can't drive," Phil explained. "You're drunk."

"I'm not _drunk_," she insisted, holding her arm out to the side and then touching the tip of her nose twice. "See? I'm just fine."

Scott waved for their water, "Just hang on for a minute. I'll pay the check and then I'll take you back to your hotel."

Phil rubbed his temple, feeling a headache coming on. He didn't want to say what he was about to say but he had to.

"I'll take her."

"What?" Andy and Scott both stared at him.

"We're staying in the same hotel," Phil explained to Colt. "You're going in the other direction."

"I'm not going with _you_," she glared. "I don't even want _him_ to take me and I still _like_ him, despite _this_ little fiasco."

"Well you're not driving and I'm not gonna let him take you," he crossed his arms. "So you either ride with me or you walk. Take your pick."

"I'd rather walk," she smirked.

Phil rolled his eyes, snatching her phone out of her hand. Since she was intoxicated, her reflexes weren't nearly what they normally were.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked.

"You want this back?" he asked.

"Yes, I'd like my phone back now," she nodded.

"You're gonna have to come get it. In my car. Let's go."

* * *

><p>Adam fished his keys out of his pocket as he walked toward his hotel room. He'd been restless and had no plans so he had gone to the hotel gym for a few hours to try and clear his head of all things Cassandra Palmer. He'd been marginally successful and felt relaxed enough to go to bed. As he got to his door, he heard a noise and turned his head. He almost laughed when he saw Cass and Stu. Someone obviously hated him. What other reason would there be for him to have to deal with this?<p>

The happy couple was laughing as Cass opened the door. Phil turned her around, pulling her into a deep kiss. Adam shook his head, going into his room and closing the door. She had proved him right. The night before meant nothing to her. She was just using him because Stu wasn't around.

* * *

><p>"You can have your phone back now," Phil held Andy's phone out to her.<p>

She was looking out the window. She'd been quiet the entire ride. They were still about 10 minutes away from the hotel. Without a word, she took the phone from him, resting it in her lap.

Phil tried to focus on the music on the radio but he couldn't, not completely. He was tired and frustrated. He was beyond sick of fighting with his ex. When they were together they _never_ fought. They had disagreements here and there but nothing that anyone would really call a fight. He looked over at her, feeling as if he was looking at a stranger. She was so different from the girl he'd been in love with. The Andy he knew had been such a tomboy. She never really wore any makeup or jewelry or anything really revealing. She only wore heels if she absolutely had to. This version of her was different. This Andy seemed more confident and girly. Her hair was curled, half of it loosely held away from her face with a clip. She wore a loose fitting, thin strapped purple dress that stopped mid-thigh. The top few buttons were undone, revealing the top of a black bra with white polka dots. She wore a pair of black knee high boots with stiletto heels over green knee socks. This woman would definitely have intimidated the younger version of herself. Also, the Andy he knew never drank. She knew about his family history and told him once that she never wanted him to feel about her the way he had about his father. He told her that she was free to do whatever she wanted and he knew she could never make him feel that way but that didn't change her mind. He never saw her drink a drop.

He knew that people changed and it wasn't as if he hadn't seen her on TV or heard things about her; he just wasn't prepared. He hadn't prepared himself for the all grown up version of her that hated his guts.

"Did you really think I wouldn't remember that night?"

Her voice surprised him. He looked over to find her still looking out the window. When he didn't answer, she turned, her green eyes catching his, this time with less anger and more of something else. Sadness.

He shrugged, "I didn't know. It was a long time ago."

"Well I do," she looked away again. "I remember every second of it. I remember that when we came into your apartment, the light in the living room blew out. That was why we went straight to that closet you called a bedroom. I remember that you were worried that I would think you were faking sick to get me into bed. You were still loopy at first and you touched my hair and told me I looked like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. You kept asking me why I didn't feel as weird as you did and I told you it was because I was more of a badass. I remember _everything_…I think that's why I'm so angry at you, you know? I have all these memories and they're _good_. They're _happy_. I can't find it. I can't find the thing that made you leave. What was it?"

Phil gripped the steering wheel tighter, not knowing what to say. He looked at her again. This time she was looking down at her hands in her lap.

"Andy…" he searched for words.

Her phone started ringing and he saw Scott's name. She answered quickly, "We're fine. No one's dead…Yes, I'm sure. Yes, I hate you now…No, I don't _actually _hate you but I'm not the biggest Colt Cabana fan at the moment…Yes, I'm sure."

She sighed, "Phil, can you say something so he knows I haven't killed you?"

"Scotty Goldman for president," Phil said loudly.

"See? He's alive," she sighed. "Can I go now?….Yeah, I'll consider calling you tomorrow…Bye."

He pulled into the hotel lot, finding a parking spot right away. She was out the door before he'd even turned the lights off. He rushed after her, feeling obligated to make sure she made it to her room. He followed her to the elevator, getting on as she pressed the button for her floor. She crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her heel, staring at the elevator doors. Her jaw was clenched tight and she was blinking slowly, leaving her eyes closed for a few seconds at a time. He knew this mood. She was upset, trying not to cry. She'd always hated crying more than anything in the world and she tried her best to keep it from happening.

"Andy," he impulsively reached out to her but she shrunk away.

"You don't need to follow me, I'm fine," she insisted.

"I know you are," he said as they reached her floor and the doors opened slowly. She stepped off and he was right behind her, following her to her door.

"You can go, it's okay," she pulled out her room key.

"You asked me a question," he reminded her.

"And you don't have to answer it," she forced a smile, shaking her head. "Really, I shouldn't even have asked. I'm drunk and I get..I don't know, I guess stupid is probably the word. I'm a little more sober now and..I don't wanna talk about this. So thank you for the ride. I'm gonna go to bed now."

She took a deep breath, opening the door.

"Andy-"

"Goodnight," she said, sounding extremely tired. She closed the door quietly and Phil stared at it for a moment. Then he turned around, resting his back against it, looking down at the floor.

His phone rang in his pocket and he pulled it out, rolling his eyes when he saw the name: Colt.

He walked away from the door, toward the elevator as he answered the phone, "You're a dead man."


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14…**

_2 Weeks Later…_

Dallas, Texas

"You definitely need this," Andy handed Stu some deodorant.

"Very funny," he took it from her, tossing it into the cart.

One of Stu's suitcases had been lost and he'd brought Adrienne along with him to help replace some of his things. She'd been doing a ton of promotional work recently and he hadn't had much opportunity to hang out with his friend.

"So I hear we're going to be joined by Tyler for a few days soon," Stu mentioned.

As usual, Andy's face lit up at the mention of her younger brother. Stu had met him quite a few times so he could understand. Tyler was a great kid and the adoration was obviously mutual.

"In two weeks," Andy confirmed. "He and my dad are flying to meet us in Pittsburgh and then he's staying with me for a week. I can't wait."

"I'm sure he can't either," Stu smiled. "How's your dad doing?"

"He's good," Andy explained as they strolled down the aisle. "Working too much as usual."

"Has Randy met him yet?"

Andy squinted, trying to remember, "I'm not sure. I don't think so though."

Stu himself had met Adrienne's father Roger quite a few times, especially when they were in FCW. He couldn't recall once they'd come up to the main roster if Randy had been around them when Roger had come to visit.

"Does Roger know about you and Randy?"

Andy laughed, shaking her head, "_God_ no. I learned a _long_ time ago that there are some things I shouldn't tell my father until I _have_ to."

"You mean things like getting married?" Stu smirked.

Andy flipped him the bird, "I don't tell my dad about a guy unless it's serious. He worries too much."

"So things aren't serious then?" Stu asked. He knew they weren't talking marriage or anything outlandish but they obviously liked each other quite a bit. He also heard through the grapevine that a few guys had asked her out since she'd been back and she'd turned them all down.

Andy smirked deviously, "Are you and Cass?"

"Touché," he pointed. "I will say things have been.._different_ with Cassandra lately."

"Good different or bad different?" she asked, looking concerned.

"Good," he answered. It wasn't as though Cass was suddenly a stranger but something had changed. They were spending a lot of time together and talking more. She had been more affectionate than he was used to but he didn't mind. He relayed this to Andy and she smiled.

Stu nodded, "It's interesting."

They shopped around for a few more minutes and once Stu was satisfied that he had everything he needed until he went back to his apartment on Wednesday, they checked out and loaded the bags into the car.

"So, I heard a rumor that there's something big in the works for you," Stu smiled, as they headed back toward the hotel.

"Have you been reading dirt sheets again?" Andy teased. He had indeed and so had she. As much as wrestlers complained about them, they all read them from time to time.

"I have," Stu confirmed. "And apparently there's a possible heel turn in the works for you."

Andy smirked, "I don't buy that for a second. But if it were true I would _love_ it."

Stu shrugged, "You never know."

* * *

><p>Phil laughed as Emerson explained to him the time she had to deal with a group of UNLV basketball players who racked up a $5,000 dollar bill at one of her father's restaurants. Apparently they had somehow come under the impression that their meal would be comped and Emerson was given the task of explaining to them that it was not.<p>

"So they all stare at me like I'm completely insane and one of them tells me he'll go out with me if I just make sure this gets taken care of for him," Emerson rolled her eyes.

"Charming," Phil shook his head. "So what did you do?"

"I told them that my father was friendly with quite a few NCAA officials who wouldn't be too fond of the idea of them getting a free five thousand dollar evening. That shut them up quickly."

"Did they have the money?"

"Nope," Emme shook her head. "My dad got free labor out of those guys for a month."

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late."

Phil playfully punched Kofi in the arm as his friend plopped down into a chair, "What the hell took you so long?"

"You guys have been here for 15 minutes," Kofi punched him back. "I'm sure you didn't miss me that much."

"I don't know about Coco Chanel over here but _I_ always miss you," Phil gave him the cheesiest smile he could muster.

"I could take you or leave you," Emerson shrugged.

They all laughed but Phil knew she didn't mean that. He liked to think that he was good at reading most people and he was beginning to think that there was more than just a friendly vibe between Kofi and Emerson. He'd spent more time than he expected to around her for the last couple of weeks and though they got along pretty damn well, Phil knew she wasn't hanging around for _his_ pleasant company. Kofi and Emerson were always texting each other and they seemed to have a meal together every day they were working. Something was obviously brewing between them but he wasn't sure either of them even realized it. It wasn't any of his business though. His relationship track record wasn't exactly stellar what with the angry ex-wife and a myriad of relationships with coworkers that usually lasted no more than 6 months. Romance wasn't exactly his strong suit.

* * *

><p>"Lilah, can you stay behind please?"<p>

Lilah winced at Stephanie's request while the rest of the writing staff filed out of the conference room. She really loved that Stephanie trusted and valued her so much but just once she wanted to get out of a meeting when everyone else did. She turned and saw Stephanie flipping through some papers and Michael standing next to her looking anxious.

"I said _Lilah_, you can go," Stephanie spoke to Michael in quite possibly the most uninterested, dismissive tone Lilah had ever heard.

Lilah shook her head, coming over and sitting beside her friend as Michael rushed out, "You have _got_ to stop that."

"Stop what?" Stephanie looked up at her with genuine confusion. After a few seconds it clicked and she waved a hand, "Whatever. You and Hunter are the ones who keep insisting that I can't just fire him."

Lilah rolled her eyes, not wanting to have this conversation again, "What am I here for?"

"We've got a couple of really exciting things in the works with the Divas," Stephanie smiled. "Our new marketing VP has landed us a partnership with OPI Nail Polish. They've been doing a lot of partnering lately and they've agreed to do a WWE Divas line. Each of the girls would get their own shade. They want to use Andy, Cass, and Jamie for the ad campaign and promotional materials."

"That's fantastic."

"It is," Stephanie smiled. "They actually want each of the girls to be involved in the designing of their shade. In addition to that, USA asked for some of the girls to appear on one of their shows. Cass and Andy are going to be shooting cameos on the show Suits and Brie and Nikki are going to be shooting a scene for Necessary Roughness. We're giving them their schedules this afternoon."

"Wow," Lilah smiled.

"That's not all. The reason I'm telling you all of this is because I wanna talk to you about Andy and Cass. I want you to work with me on some ideas for Andy once we wrap up the angle with Kharma. My hopes and expectations for Andy are sky high. I really think that she could and should be one of the faces of this company. Ratings for diva focused segments have been up since she came back. My concern is that I don't want her to get stagnant. We need something big, something that will really draw."

"Well," Lilah thought for a few seconds. "Andy plays a great heel. She did it her whole time in Japan and in FCW. She knows how to get heat."

"You're right," Stephanie agreed. "But the question is..how would we do it? I don't want to turn her heel just for the sake of doing something different. It's gotta be something that will be beneficial for her career and whoever else is involved."

"I'll start working on some ideas," Lilah said, excited at the prospect. "Now what were you saying about Cass?"

"Cass is great, her show has gotten lots of hits online, people respond very well to her backstage interviews," Stephanie explained. "_And_ I would like to explore the idea of involving her in one of our angles. See how she does with it."

"And I assume you have an angle in mind," Lilah suggested.

Stephanie nodded, "I think she would do well in the angle with Edge, Dolph and Vickie. Vickie needs a foil. Cass would be perfect."

"You want to put Adam and Cass together?" Lilah stared. "I'm not su-"

"I know what you're gonna say," Stephanie held up a hand. "And quite frankly, I don't want to hear it. This is a business. Adam and Cassandra work. They have chemistry. I want to use that. They're adults, they'll be fine. Make it happen."

* * *

><p>Randy looked up when he heard Andy's voice. She was walking back through the curtain after working out in the ring with Kia. They had been spending a lot of time working on moves to make sure when they finally had their one on one match that it would be perfect. She smiled, walking toward him when she spotted him. She was in a sports bra that barely seemed to contain her and black and red basketball shorts. Her tanned skin was sweaty and Randy had to take a deep breath and try to think about something mundane like baseball or golf. He was somehow even more sexually frustrated than before they'd ever been together. Since that first time, or rather first few times, they'd both been extremely busy. On their off days they'd been in different cities doing promotional work. At shows they were both spending a lot of time on their respective angles. And then there was the matter of her friends. She and Emme may as well have been surgically attached to each other and on the off chance that Emerson wasn't around, there was always Lilah, or Cass, and now Jamie was added into the rotation. It was like she had 24 hour security detail. It wasn't that he didn't like her friends. With the exception of Jamie, whom he didn't know very well, they were all his friends too. They were just a little overbearing at times.<p>

"Hey stranger," she smiled.

He smiled, wrapping an arm around her waist, "Hey..what was your name again?"

"Oh you're funny," she tried to pull away but he caught her with his other arms and kissed her lips.

They both heard loud laughing and Andy turned first to find the source. Randy followed her gaze and saw Emerson walking with Kofi and laughing hysterically at something he said.

Andy smiled, "Do you _see_ them?"

"Of course I see them, they're right there," Randy laughed. It wasn't exactly a rare sight. Whenever Emme wasn't with Andy, lately, she seemed to be with Kofi.

"I don't mean literally Randy, I'm asking if you see what's going on with them," Andy explained. "She won't cop to it but I think she really, really likes him. And it looks like he likes her too."

"Looks like it, yeah," Randy nodded. "But it's probably not a good idea for you to get involved. You remember what happened with-"

"I know, I know, but this is totally different," Andy cut him off.

Emerson and Kofi broke off in different directions and Emme came their way.

"Hey Randy," she smiled before putting an arm around Andy. "I need to borrow her for a fitting."

"I guess I'll see you later," Andy smiled apologetically before Emerson pulled her away.

Randy began to reconsider his advice to Andy. Maybe if she could get Emme and Kofi together, he could get her alone for five minutes.

* * *

><p>Cass tried to apply eyeliner to her lower lash line but her eyes were watering so much that the color wouldn't stick. She felt a sneeze coming on and moved the pencil away just in time to avoid stabbing herself in the eye. She threw the pencil down, looking at herself in the mirror. She felt miserable. She was freezing even with sweat pants under her dress and a robe over her shoulders. Her eyes had been watering so much that they were red and sore and her nose was like a leaky faucet. She hated being sick. She looked like crap and felt even worse.<p>

"You don't need makeup anyway."

She laughed when she heard Stu's voice in the doorway. She turned to face him, "Maybe not most days but look at me. I definitely need something. I don't even have mascara on."

"I like you best without makeup," he shrugged, walking into the room.

"All men say that," she smirked. "It's just because a face with no makeup reminds a man of morning sex."  
>"You may be right about that," he smiled. "But I mean it. You don't need any of it."<p>

She knew that he meant it. Stu wasn't the type of person to say something flattering if he didn't mean it. That was what made him so charming. He was never trying to be. She reached up, patting his shoulder to tell him he was sweet but before she could, she let loose a sneeze right in the middle of his chest.

"I'm so sorry," her mouth hung open.

He put his hand on her forehead and frowned, "You're awfully warm."

"I'm fine," she shook her head.

"Of course you are," he smoothed back her hair. "I'm going to get you some orange juice and I'll see if the trainers have any vitamin C."

"That's nice of you but I don't need it," she insisted.

"I'm sure," he kissed her on the cheek. "But I'm going to get it anyway."

* * *

><p>Andy took a deep breath before walking into the men's locker room. It was surprisingly empty. There were gym bags and t shirts all over the place but there was only one person in the room. Fortunately for her, he was the person she was looking for.<p>

Phil turned around when he heard the door and sighed deeply when he saw her. She couldn't really blame him. They hadn't spoken much since the night Colt set them up and the few times they had, it was less than pleasant. About 60% of that was probably her fault. She had been so upset with herself for being emotional in front of him that she felt even more anger when she saw him than she did before.

"Obviously, your boyfriend's not here," he said, pulling off his t-shirt, balling it up and shoving it into his bag.

"Have you ever heard of folding?" she frowned.

"Have you ever heard of knocking?"

"It's a locker room, there's no point in knocking," She rolled her eyes. "A third of the men here will say they're decent just to have you come in and see them naked."

"Well, your boyfriend isn't here," he informed her.

"Not my boyfriend, not gonna tell you again," she pointed. "Anyway, I'm actually here to see you."

"Joy," he clapped his hands together.

"Don't be cute," she glared. "I just want to ask you something."

He rested his elbows on his thighs and his chin on his fists, "Do tell."

She rolled her eyes again. She couldn't seem to control that in his presence, "Is Kofi dating anyone?"

"You thinking of stepping out on The Viper?" he smirked.

She put her hands on her hips, staring at him, unblinking.

He sighed, "Yes. He's seeing someone but I don't think it's serious. Some model he met at a magazine party. I don't remember her name. Why?"

"I think Emme likes him," she answered.

"And do you think she'd want you telling me this?" he asked.

"For some reason which I am _completely_ incapable of understanding, she actually seems to like you," Andy said. "God help me she even thinks you might be friends."

"If I remember correctly, the last time you tried to set one of your friends up with one of mine, it didn't turn out so well. Colt still hasn't forgiven you."

"Oh yes he has," Andy shook her head. "And how was I supposed to know she was a lesbian? She never told me."

"She was always staring at you," Phil laughed. "It was almost creepy."

"You couldn't tell me that back then?" she asked, trying to keep from laughing herself. "What kind of person are you? You could have saved Colt and me a _lot_ of embarrassment."

"You were so excited to hook him up with her, I thought maybe she'd actually told you she wanted to go out with him," Phil shrugged.

Andy looked around the room, feeling strange. They were almost getting along. She tried to think back through her day for a time when someone could have slipped her something. Phil seemed to have grown uncomfortable as well. He was tapping his heel on the floor, looking at the door as if hoping someone would walk in.

"So..was there anything else?" Phil scratched behind his ear.

"Nope," she answered quickly. "Nothing at all. I'll see you later."

* * *

><p>"Cassandra," Lilah walked into the women's locker room, stopping when she saw her best friend's bright red nose and watering eyes. "What in God's name? Are you alright?"<p>

Cassandra coughed before answering, "I may or may not have a little bit of a cold."

"You may," Lilah reached over, pressing her hand against Cass's forehead. "You're sweating. And you're warm."

"It's really not a big deal," Cass waved. "What's up?"

"It can wait," Lilah insisted. "We should get you some medicine or something."

"I took some, I'm fine," Cass insisted. "Did you need to talk or something?"

Lilah sighed, deciding to give up on taking care of her friend for the moment. Cass was a huge baby when she was sick but she _hated_ taking medicine. Lilah once had to slip cold medicine into her food.

"Well, the reason I wanted to talk to you was that I had a meeting with Stephanie this morning," Lilah began. "She's really pleased with how you've been doing and she wants to involve you more regularly on TV."

Cass smiled and then sneezed, "That's great."

"It is," Lilah agreed. "More specifically, she wants to add you into the angle with Edge, Vickie, and Dolph Ziggler."

Cass's eyebrow raised, "And she wants to put me with Adam?"

"That's the idea," Lilah confirmed. She braced herself for the onslaught but Cass shrugged, turning to the mirror and wiping under her eyes. She picked up some moisturizer and rubbed it around her nose then started looking through her makeup.

"You're not freaking out?" Lilah stared.

Cass shook her head, covering up the redness around her nose, "I'm a lot of things but I'm not unprofessional. You do what you have to do, I'll go along with it."

"You're not worried that-"

"Lilah, I have a whole new understanding of how little there is between Adam and I," Cass turned to face her. "He's the one you need to worry about. I'm not sure he'll be thrilled with the idea. I'm pretty sure I've regained my number one spot on his shit list."

"What happened now?"

"Honestly," Cass leaned against the makeup counter. "I don't really know."

* * *

><p>Phil watched on a monitor as Andy was shown walking down one of the arena's backstage hallways. She seemed to be looking for something. Finally, she stopped at a door with Kharma's name on it. She opened the door without knocking and stopped just inside the doorway when she saw Kharma's ever present Raggedy Ann doll sitting in a folding chair. She walked in and picked it up, a bitter smile on her face. Then, as she turned around, she bumped into Kharma. Phil had to say, he was actually enjoying the way they were playing the angle with Andy and Kharma. 2 Weeks earlier on Raw, Vince had announced the creation of a women's tag team championship and a tournament would lead to new champions being crowned that night at the Money In The Bank pay per view. The final would be the team of Andy and Jamie against Kharma and Victoria. The focus of the last few weeks though had been on the tension between Andy and Kharma. Kharma and Victoria had been at ringside for Andy and Jamie's qualifying matches, nearly costing them a match against Michelle McCool and Layla when Andy was so distracted by Kharma that she had her back turned when Jamie tried to tag out.<p>

"Just the woman I was looking for," Andy said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Can I help you?" Kharma looked amused.

"Yes, you can," Andy glared. "You can quit with all the mind games, the stupid dolls and distractions. I don't play that way. If you want to give me a message…I'm right here."

"I brought the doll to the ring because I want to make sure you see what's in store for you," Kharma stepped closer to Andy. "You see, I've heard it mentioned when you came back that you have beaten _every_ diva. That is impressive. But you have _never_ beaten _me_. You've never faced anything like me. And that's not to say that you haven't had the opportunity. What people don't seem to realize is that I've tried to challenge you in the past. I tried in Japan. I've tried in the United States. But _somehow_..you were 'never available'. You've always had some excuse. Yet you run around acting like you're the best thing that ever happened to that championship. Well you can't run forever little girl. We're both here, working in the same place at the same time and you can't say no anymore. I'm going to break you. I'm going to leave you lying in a heap, crying and begging me to take that belt away from you. And then I will..and sweet little raggedy Andy will go back into the toy box."

Kharma backed out, laughing and walking away and the camera focused on Andy who looked furious and just a little bit shaken.

The announcers discussed what had just happened before a recap aired to set up the next match and Phil started taping his wrists. Things had been tense between him and Andy but he couldn't help but watch her on screen. She had something incredibly magnetic about her that he didn't see a lot in female performers. He couldn't tell her that though. He couldn't tell her much of anything. Their strange moment of peace earlier had been the first since she'd come back and he didn't see it recurring. After the night that Colt set them up, he'd seriously considered trying to talk to her and telling her why he had left but the next time he saw her, she practically ran when she saw him coming. He sighed deeply, rubbing his hands over his face. He wondered if there would ever be a time when they could just have a conversation like normal people.

He laughed to himself, shaking his head, "Probably not."

* * *

><p>"Hello darling," Andy walked over to Emerson's station after filming her segment with Kia. It had gone exactly as they rehearsed and she was in a great mood.<p>

Emme waved, pushing her glasses up her nose as she frowned at a pair of shorts she had on a dress form.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Emme sighed. "Just trying to figure out where to put some trim. What's up? You look giddy."

"I am a little but it's silly," Andy waved off her excitement. "I do have some interesting news though."

"Do tell," Emme smiled, sitting down.

Andy sat on the table, "Well, it's kind of a good news bad news situation. Bad news first; Kofi is seeing someone. Good news: It's not serious."

Emerson had to admit she felt something strangely similar to jealousy at Andy's news but she wasn't about to admit it. She put on her best neutral face and looked at her friend, "And why would you think I care?"

Andy pursed her lips, crossing her arms and tilting her head, "You're still trying that?"

Emme sighed; at least she tried momentarily to stand her ground. Unfortunately, Andy could read her like a book. She scooted closer to her, "How do you know this?"

"I asked Phil," Andy answered. "Which is proof that I would do anything for you."

"Andy, I don't see how this is good news," Emerson shook her head. "He has a _girlfriend_."

"He doesn't have a girlfriend," Andy shook her head. "Phil didn't know her name or anything. He just said she was some girl and that it wasn't serious. That's good. That means that he may be open to a better opportunity."

"You and Randy are just 'seeing each other' and you weren't open to Nick when he asked you out," Emerson pointed.

"That is _different_. I didn't _want_ to go out with Nick," Andy reminded her.

"I'm not gonna compete for a guy," Emme shrugged. "I don't do that."

"No one's asking you to," Andy insisted. "You like him. He's not involved in anything serious. All I'm saying is that maybe you should make it known that you're available."

Emerson rolled her eyes, not bothering to argue that she never admitted liking him. Andy never believed it anyway.

She shrugged, "I'll think about it."

* * *

><p>Cass felt herself smiling as she watched Stu prop up another ladder. The Money in the Bank match was nearing it's end and he had been a large part of it. He slid out of the ring, grabbing another, smaller ladder. Kofi was on his way up the first ladder Stu had placed but before he could get to the top, Stu tossed the smaller ladder through the ropes, causing Kofi's ladder to tip. The moment he threw the ladder, Stu let out an incredibly loud f-bomb but the camera went to Kofi so quickly that Cass couldn't see what happened. When the shot went back to Stu, his left hand was gushing blood between his thumb and index finger. Cass put a hand over her mouth, wincing at the sight. Stu was clearly in pain but he slid back into the ring and continued with the match. He was bleeding all over the place as he and Mike Mizanin climbed to the top of a ladder and Stu executed a modified version of his finisher, Wasteland, before reaching up and grabbing the briefcase to win the match. Cass walked toward the gorilla position as the participants in the match started to file backstage. Stu was last, his hand and forearm covered in blood.<p>

"Are you alright?" Cass rushed to his side.

"I'm fine," he winced. "It's not nearly as bad as it looks."

"It looks terrible," Cass stared at the deep gashes on the web of his hand.

"My hand got caught in the ladder," he took a deep breath, his face starting to look a little pale.

"Come on," she took his good hand, pulling him behind her. "You need to get that looked at by a doctor."

* * *

><p>Stu gritted his teeth as Cass led him to the medical staff. He was sure his hand was fine but she was obviously in a panic, moving as quickly as her legs would carry her.<p>

When they reached the Charles, one of the trainers, the other man winced, "That's gonna need stitches."

"It's really not that bad," Stu insisted.

Cass turned around, fixing him with an icy glare that was clearly a warning to stop arguing. He laughed, "Alright, alright. Stitches."

This was the sort of thing Stu had been telling Adrienne about that morning. Previously, Cass would have been a little concerned but she might not have dropped everything she was doing the way she was now.

"I can stay with you," she offered.

He shook his head, "That won't be necessary; you've got work to do. I'll be fine."

She looked concerned and he pulled her close with his good hand, kissing the top of her head, "I've been in worse pain than what a couple of stitches will cause. No need to worry."

"Okay," she seemed resigned to his decision. She turned to Charles, "Don't let him talk you out of it."

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you like it, I'm 90% done with the next chapter and hope to have it up by the end of the day. Please remember to Review!<strong>


	16. Chapter 15

**As promised...See! I'm getting better! The story is a little bit slow right now but things start to pick up quite a bit in the next chapter. As always, Read, enjoy, and Review!**

**Chapter 15…**

_Tuesday Morning…_

Lilah typed furiously on her laptop, rubbing her eyes and resisting the urge to go back to sleep. She'd woken up at 4AM after a very strange dream. In the dream, she was working in an old bank in Chicago. It seemed to be in the past, sometime in the 30s. She was going about what must have been her normal day when she heard some commotion near the front doors. She looked up to see a gang of bank robbers rush into the bank with guns. Frightened, Lilah put her hands up as did everyone else as they were all told to gather in the middle of the bank and give up any valuables. She heard one of the robbers asking where the boss was but before whoever he asked could get out an answer, she heard the sound of burning rubber and then another old fashioned car pulled up, nearly crashing through the front doors. The robbers watching the front door stepped aside and the door flew open. Lilah heard strangely familiar laughter and then her mouth dropped open when she saw a young couple rush into the bank and slam the door behind them. They were both laughing and out of breath and the man pulled the woman close to him, kissing her passionately before turning to the group of frightened hostages. Lilah's mouth dropped open when she saw the couple's faces. He was clean shaven and free of piercings and her hair was honey blonde but they were unmistakably Phil Brooks and Andy Nixon. He started barking orders while she gathered up the valuables from the hostages. Lilah stared as she gleefully gathered the items into a bag, occasionally casting an adoring glance back at Phil before slapping at one of the hostages or telling them to shut up or stop crying. She tied off the bag and handed it to another one of the robbers while Phil walked around the hostages. He pointed to Lilah, "You work here?"

She nodded.

"Get up," he ordered.

She did as she was told and Andy came over, grabbing her hand and dragging her back behind the counter. Phil followed close behind them.

"Just stay calm, everything's gonna be just fine," Andy smiled sweetly, opening a large burlap sack.

"Here's the deal, Lilah," Phil said, reading her name tag. "You're gonna fill these two bags with cash _fast_ and then we're gonna let all of you fine people go on about your day, alright?"

Lilah nodded, unlocking the drawer in front of her and loading cash into the bags. Lilah could practically feel the electricity between the two of them as they stole glances at each other while alternately watching her and watching the door. Once the bags were full, Phil patted Lilah on the top of the head with the same hand that was holding his revolver while Andy tied the bags.

"Thanks a bunch," Andy smiled, holding the door open. Phil walked out and she followed quickly. One of the hostages was reaching for something behind his back and Lilah could see from her vantage point that he had a gun. He finally managed to pull it out and point it at Andy but before he could pull his trigger a loud shot rang out and Lilah instinctively covered her ears. She looked up to see Phil holding out his revolver with Andy pulled against his side. He hadn't killed the man but he'd shot him in the arm that held the gun.

Phil glared at him, "Nobody points a gun at my girl."

A police siren sounded and the robbers started filing out. Phil and Andy were the last to leave. Andy winked and waved at Lilah while Phil took a bow, "It's been great ladies and gentleman. See you next time."

When Lilah woke up, she was inspired and when an idea came to her, she couldn't relax until she had it on paper. She'd opened a new Word document and started an outline. Andy and Phil's separate angles were only planned through the next month. Phil was in a transitional feud with Big Show until they could find something better for him. Andy's current angle would have her beginning to doubt herself because of her difficulties with Kharma. Stephanie wanted to turn Andy heel and Phil was the best heel they had. She typed out her ideas, giving specific segments she would like to see and who else she would involve. When she was done, she smiled.

"This could really work," she looked over her outline. If she was given the liberty to handle it the way she wanted, this angle could be huge for both Andy and Phil. She took a deep breath and logged onto her email, opening a new message. She typed in Stephanie's name and attached the document she'd created. She entered 'Just an Idea…' and then clicked 'send' before she could think twice about it. Once it was done, she put a hand over her mouth and felt a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach.

* * *

><p>Cass woke up with a tingling feeling in her nose. She reached for a tissue and just as her fingers grazed the box, her head whipped forward in a harsh sneeze and she smacked it against her nightstand.<p>

"Shit!" she rolled onto her back, pressing both hands against her forehead as if that would somehow lessen the pain.

Her eyes started watering again and she winced. They were sore from days of rubbing. She made some sort of weird half growling half moaning noise as she crawled out of bed, pushing off her sweaty comforter. She walked into her bathroom, turning the light on it's dimmest setting and surveying the damage. She wasn't bleeding but she had a bright red mark smack in the middle of her forehead that was sure to bruise. She grabbed some Kleenex and blew her nose hard as she walked out of the bathroom and down the hall toward the kitchen. She jumped when she got into her living room and saw Stu's sleeping form on her couch. She had completely forgotten that he was there. They had both flown to Georgia after Raw. He was off of Smackdown and the week's house shows to allow his hand time to heal and Stephanie had insisted that she didn't want to see Cass until she could stop sneezing on everything. Stu was going to fly to Florida but he had offered to come take care of Cass for a few days. She had insisted that she didn't need the help but he ignored her protests and came along anyway. She tip toed into the living room, turning off the TV and quietly setting down the remote. She smiled as she looked at him, his head leaning back and his injured hand resting on a pillow on his stomach. She was really enjoying all the time she'd been spending with him lately. She'd finally stopped comparing everything he did to Adam and started trying to see him for who he was. And she really, really liked him. She hadn't found herself dwelling on thoughts of Adam.

She turned to creep out of the room but the tingling attacked her nose again and she let out another comically loud sneeze. Stu jumped up quickly, looking around, his eyes wide and alarmed.

"Sorry," she smiled sheepishly, cringing at how nasal her voice sounded.

He relaxed when he saw her, "You startled me."

"I startled myself," she laughed, running a hand through her hair.

"Nice PJs," he pointed, smirking.

She looked down at herself and sighed when she them. She'd just grabbed whatever was on top of her pajama drawer after taking her shower and buried herself under the covers. Apparently, she'd pulled on a pair of glow in the dark plaid pants that Emerson had made her as a joke.

"Shut up," she pointed.

"What?" he laughed. "They're _very_ sexy."

"That's it, I'm going back to bed," she turned around.

"Want some company?" he asked.

"I suppose," she said. "As long as you're not gonna try anything."

"I'm a little too tired and you're a little too sick," he said, getting up and following her to the bedroom. "Although I could be persuaded if you've got a matching shirt for those pants."

* * *

><p>Andy's eyes fluttered open and she winced when the light touched her eyes. She felt as if her brain was throbbing. She closed her eyes slowly, taking a deep breath. She could feel Randy's back beneath her cheek, his skin slightly sweaty. She could smell his cologne mixing with the scent of her shampoo. She could hear Randy breathing and someone walking in the hallway. She rolled over onto her back, keeping her eyes closed. All of her senses were going haywire. She sat up slowly and forced her eyes open, crawling out of bed and walking toward her suitcase, taking deep breaths the whole way and trying to ignore the fact that the floor seemed to be moving. She reached her bag and sat on the floor in front of it, unzipping it as slowly and quietly as she could. She didn't want to wake Randy. She quickly found her toiletry bag and pulled out a prescription bottle, opening it and fishing out 2 pills. She put the bottle back and replaced the bag, then went into the bathroom, cupped her hand under the sink. She downed the pills with a mouthful of water and then slid to the floor, closing the door with her foot and relishing in the darkness.<p>

_This is going to be a long day_

* * *

><p>Adam turned the TV on, absently flipping through the channels. He had been trying to get back to sleep for almost an hour and finally decided there was no point. He flipped through the channels, stopping on a Golden Girls rerun. Thanks to Cass, he had seen every episode of the show at least twice. She used to put it on when she was tired and had trouble getting relaxed enough to sleep. It would knock her right out and Adam would inevitably get sucked into an episode and finishing watching while she slept. He put his hands behind his head, looking up at the ceiling. He wondered if he had been too hard on Cassandra. She had looked so upset when he went to her hotel room that morning. Then he remembered seeing her with Stu later that same day and he shook all thoughts of pity out of his head. She had proven him right. He turned her down and she ran right to someone else. Whatever almost happened with them the night before only happened because her current plaything hadn't been around. He needed to stop thinking about her and put more of an effort into moving on. He and Cass could never get back to what they had before.<p>

* * *

><p>Shawn tossed his phone onto the table in front of him, rubbing his hands over his face. He was dead tired after being up all night with a back ache. His wife had called that morning but he didn't have the energy to talk to her. He wasn't sure how much more there was to say, all of the details were pretty much ironed out, but she seemed to come up with something every day. He looked around the backstage area, seeing members of the production crew milling about, some working and some just pretending to. After a few seconds he spotted Lilah. She was standing about 20 feet away talking with their technical director, a sound editor, and Stephanie's assistant Michael. He hadn't seen her as much as usual the last few weeks. He walked over, smiling, "Hard at work?"<p>

"Always," she smiled as the director and editor excused themselves, waving politely to Shawn before walking away.

"Michael, how are you?" Shawn asked, patting the young man on the shoulder.

"I'm good Mr. Michaels," he smiled.

Shawn struggled not to make a face, turning his attention to Lilah, "You must be working too much. I feel like I haven't talked to you in a month."

"I know, I'm sorry," she smiled apologetically. "We haven't had a lunch in forever."

"_What_?" All three of them jumped when they heard Stephanie's voice from around the corner.

Michael immediately tensed.

Stephanie appeared quickly, phone pressed to her ear, carrying a purse and a laptop bag.

"Hold on for a second," she ordered whoever she was talking to. She pointed at Michael, taking off her laptop bag, "You, carry this, come with me."

Michael dutifully grabbed the bag and took her purse as well.

Stephanie smiled at Lilah and Shawn. She pointed at Lilah, "I got your email. I love it. Vince loves it. We're totally on board. He wants to start it at Summerslam. We'll talk later."

She patted Shawn on the shoulder before walking away with Michael trailing behind her.

"She's like a freight train sometimes," Shawn laughed, shaking his head. He turned to Lilah who suddenly looked a little pale. "You okay?"

"Yes and no," Lilah answered.

"That sounded like a good thing," Shawn said. 'What's wrong?"

"I'm pretty sure I made a gigantic mistake today," Lilah answered, still staring after Stephanie.

"That's impossible," Shawn laughed. "You never make mistakes."

"Oh it's possible," Lilah sighed. "Trust me."

"You look like you could use a break," Shawn laughed, offering his arm. "You wanna get that lunch now? You can tell me what this horrible mistake is."

Lilah nodded, "Is it too early for me to have a drink?"

* * *

><p>Kofi looked around for Matt as he walked into the backstage area. They were supposed to work on some maneuvers they wanted to try incorporating into their tag team matches. Unfortunately, Matt was usually late so he was probably stuck waiting around for another 10 or 15 minutes. He considered going and working in the ring by himself but on his way there he saw Emerson struggling to carry two large boxes. She didn't look very steady in a pair of sky high pencil thin stiletto heels.<p>

"Here, let me help you," he rushed over, putting his hands under the boxes and relieving some of the weight.

"Oh my God, thank you," she gushed, allowing him to take them from her. He wasn't quite prepared for how heavy they were and he almost dropped them himself.

"What the hell is in here?" he asked, walking toward her station.

"Fabric," she explained, moving some smaller boxes that were on the floor next to her table. "You can drop 'em right here."

He did as he was told and then stood up straight, rolling his shoulders.

"Thank you," she smiled brightly at him. He noticed that she looked a little less put together than normal. Aside from the heels, she was wearing tight fitting jeans and a baggy Salt-N-Pepa t-shirt. Her brown waves were pulled up into a messy bun and her bangs were hanging over a pair of navy blue glasses he'd never seen her wear before.

"You look different today," he pointed out as she started looking around for something on the table. He guessed she was looking for the box cutter that was right in front of him so he picked it up, waving it at her.

"Thanks," she took it, opening the top box. "And I know, I look _terrible_. I couldn't sleep last night, I think I'm getting Cass's cold. I woke up about 10 minutes before I had to be here."

"I was trying to say you look nice," Kofi laughed.

"Oh," she looked surprised and he thought her cheeks flushed a little as she pulled a roll of fabric out of the box. "Thanks."

"No problem," he shrugged.

They both heard heels clicking and turned to see Lilah coming their way.

Kofi raised his hand in a wave and Emerson smiled, "Hey Lilah."

The blonde didn't seem to notice either of them as she continued past them, looking down at her phone.

"That was weird," Kofi laughed.

A few seconds later Mark Callaway walked by in the same direction. He was moving much faster than Kofi was used to.

"Well that explains it," Emme laughed, continuing to unpack the box.

"Explains what?" Kofi frowned, helping her.

"Lilah is trying to hide that she's hooking up with Mark," Emerson answered, shaking her head. Then, she seemed to realize she shouldn't have said it and covered her mouth, her eyes going wide.

"Don't worry, I won't tell a soul," he laughed. "But I would not have expected that couple."

"No one would," Emme laughed.

"Why is she trying to hide it?"

"A part of me gets it," Emme answered. "I mean, the four of us are like sisters and we're constantly in each other's business. A little privacy isn't exactly a bad thing. I think she's just having fun and she doesn't want anyone to make a big deal of it. Which we all would. Especially Cass. I just wish she was a better liar."

Kofi smirked, "Women are weird."

"This is true, but we're not the only ones," Emme shrugged. "You and Phil are really close. You don't tell each other everything?"

"I didn't even know Phil was married to Andy, remember?" he laughed.

"That doesn't count," she pointed. "None of us knew that."

Kofi shrugged, "We tell each other a lot of things but it's different. We don't do it the same way girls do. Things just come up in conversation. I don't usually rush to call him if something happens to me."

"Yeah but I'm sure Phil knows a lot about whatever goes on with you and your girlfriend," she suggested.

"I don't have a girlfriend," Kofi said, as they finished unloading the first box. "But if I did, you might be right. I do like to talk."

"I thought I remembered you mentioning something about someone you were seeing," she said, leaning over to open the second box.

Kofi couldn't remember mentioning anything but he figured he must have. He shrugged, "There's a girl that I go out with from time to time. She lives in Miami. But I wouldn't call her my girlfriend."

She was about to say something but he spotted Matt walking toward them, "About damn time."

"Sorry," he rushed over. "Hey Emme."

"You okay with this stuff?" Kofi asked, touching Emerson's arm.

"Hmm?" she looked confused.

"Do you need any more help?" he laughed.

"No, no, I'm good," Emerson said.

"Are you taking it back to the hotel?" he asked.

She nodded, "What's left of it. Which will probably be a good chunk."

"Alright, don't try to carry it yourself," he ordered. "I'll be by after the show to help you pack it up."

* * *

><p>Andy's gym bag felt like a boulder as she carried it down the hall toward the women's locker room. Even in her darkest pair of sunglasses, she was squinting against the building's harsh lights. She kept her head down, trying to go from memory of the building to find the locker room. She was doing pretty well until she felt someone bump her shoulder, throwing her off course. She stumbled, almost falling into the wall. She felt a pair of hands steady her and when she looked up, she saw Phil looking confused.<p>

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Just fine," she answered, looking down at his hands and then back up at him, "I think that's enough touching now."

He removed his hands quickly and she turned slowly, walking away. She found the locker room, heading inside, thrilled to see that she was the first person there. Hopefully she could get in a little peace and quiet before the madness started.

* * *

><p>Phil sighed, staring after Andy and she walked down the hall like she was sleep walking. He knew all too well what this was like. When he first met her, she was being treated for severe migraines. Sometimes they got so bad that she was confined to bed for days. Other times he'd had to take her to the hospital. As far as he was aware, her doctors had never figured out any solid explanation for them. They started when she was a kid right after her mother died. Sometimes they were worse when she was stressed but other times she could be perfectly healthy and happy and then, out of nowhere, she would get rocked with one so bad she could barely walk. He sighed, feeling a little guilty. He knew stress didn't necessarily cause them but it didn't help and his presence definitely seemed to cause her quite a bit of it. He walked out into the production area and flagged down one of the assistants.<p>

"What can I do for you?" the young man came over a little too eagerly.

Phil pulled his wallet out of his pocket and handed the kid some cash, "Do me a favor and find a place near here that has vegetable soup and get a bag of pretzels and some diet 7-up and take it to Andy Nixon."

He wondered for a moment if she still craved the same things that she used to. He decided to take the risk.

The PA looked surprised, "You sure? I can just bring it to you so you can-"

Phil held up a hand, "I don't wanna give it to her. Sneak it in the locker room for her if you can. If you get caught, tell her it's from Emerson Lane."

The PA frowned, confused.

Phil handed him an extra 20, "Just do it."

* * *

><p>Lilah walked into the locker room, not bothering to knock. She knew most of the guys were milling about but she hadn't spotted her cousin so she figured she could find him there.<p>

She was right. He was standing in his ring gear, watching the monitor in the corner. He was scheduled to tag with Randy in the main event.

She walked over, standing beside him. Andy and Lisa were about halfway through their match.

"Hey," he smiled at her, putting an arm over her shoulders. He moved his arm away quickly and rolled his eyes.

"What?" she asked, offended.

"You and Mark really need to learn to control yourselves," Adam sighed, grabbing her zipper.

Lilah's mouth dropped open. She thought she had pulled it up all the way. Apparently she was a few inches short. Adam pulled it up and then turned back to the monitor.

Lilah felt her cheeks burning red and she took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.

"I wanted to talk to you about something important," she explained.

"I really don't want any details on you and Mark-"

"Not about me and Mark," Lilah rolled her eyes. "Although I still find your problem with it to be a bit ridiculous."

"What did you want to talk about?" he asked.

She took a deep breath, reminding herself that she was talking to Adam. He was her cousin, her friend, and above all, he was a professional.

"Stephanie has requested that the writers add Cass to your angle," she informed him. "Probably starting this week or next."

Adam's mouth thinned and she could tell his jaw was clenched. He didn't say anything at first but when he finally broke the awkward silence he asked, "Was this really Stephanie's idea or was it _yours_?"

"I can see why you would ask," she nodded. "But it wasn't mine. And I tried to protest but she was having none of it. You know how she gets sometimes."

"Isn't she the same person trying to set me up on blind dates?" he looked annoyed.

"That has nothing to do with business," Lilah said. "And she has an immaculate capacity for separating business from everything else."

"I don't like it," he admitted, walking over to a folding chair and sitting down. "Cass and I…we're not in the best place."

"What happened?" Lilah asked. "You two were getting along fine not too long ago."

He looked surprised for a second and then shook it off, shrugging, "I don't know. Things just changed."

"You need to talk?" she asked, walking over and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"You have time for talking?" he smirked. "I thought Mark kept your every free moment occupied."

She sharply tugged at his ear and he made a pained sound, covering it with his hand.

"Thanks, I feel much better now," he glared at her.

She shrugged, "I do what I can…Seriously, if you need to talk. I'm here."

"There's nothing to talk about," he shrugged. "I'll do the angle just…keep it reasonable."

Lilah smiled, "I'll do my best."


	17. Chapter 16

**Okay folks, here's the next chapter...Hope you enjoy! I'll post more as soon as I can. As always thanks for your previous reviews and don't forget to post new ones! Feedback is golden!  
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**Chapter 16…**

"Okay, we have two jack and cokes and a water," the waitress smiled setting the drinks down.

Randy and Adam both looked at Hunter and he glared, "Both of you keep your mouths shut."

Randy laughed, "Remind me never to get married."

"Remind me not to get married _again_," Adam smirked.

"Hey, there's no reason to condemn marriage because you idiots don't know how to have normal, healthy relationships," Hunter half joked.

"He does have a point," Adam tapped his glass against Hunter's water bottle before taking a sip. "Orton, I think you've got a fan over there."

Randy followed his friend's gaze and spotted a group of women standing at the bar. One of them, a blonde had her eyes locked on him. She was wearing a short, skin tight green dress. She was on the shorter side, probably about 5'6" in the heels she was wearing. She had a fantastic body and, as best he could tell from the distance, a nice face. He nodded to her and she smiled a broad, white smile, raising her hand in a small wave.

"Over/Under on how long it takes her to come over here, 30 seconds" Adam looked over at Hunter.

Hunter held up his arm, looking at his watch, "I'm taking the under."

Randy laughed, shaking his head. He downed more of his drink and signaled for the waitress to come over when she had a chance. He was getting a little hungry.

"And the under's coming in," Hunter laughed.

Randy looked up and saw the blonde coming toward their table.

"Hi," she smiled, looking a little nervous. "I'm Ariel. I'm a big fan."

"Nice to meet you Ariel," he smiled.

"My friends and I can't get a table, we didn't expect this place to be so packed," she smiled. "I was wondering if maybe we could join you guys."

Adam shrugged, Hunter looked apprehensive.

"Sure, why not," Randy shrugged. "I'll get you ladies some chairs."

"Have I told you lately that you are my favorite person ever?" Andy asked.

* * *

><p>Emerson laughed, looking up from her sketch pad. Andy was curled up in a ball at the foot of Emerson's bed still in her hoodie and sweat pants, using a balled up sheet as a pillow. She had her eyes closed and her hood on, her makeup was smeared and she was still wearing one of her shoes. Emerson wasn't going to mess with her. She'd been racked with a terrible migraine all day and when she was in that kind of pain, when she was finally able to be comfortable, Emerson wanted to make sure she stayed that way.<p>

"And why am I your favorite person today?" she asked.

"That soup you got me was amazing," Andy said. "You always know what makes me feel better."

Emerson frowned, confused, "What?"

"Come on, Emme, I would have known even if that kid hadn't told me it was from you," Andy said. "Soup, 7-Up, and pretzels? You know my comfort foods."

Emerson was glad that Andy's eyes were closed so she couldn't see the look on Emerson's face. Andy was right about one thing, Emerson knew her favorite things to eat when she was sick but she obviously wasn't the only one. She smiled, shaking her head. She didn't have irrefutable evidence but she just knew that Phil was behind this. She wasn't going to out him yet though. They would have a discussion about this later.

"So where's Randy tonight? Why am I the one taking care of your sickly ass?" Emerson teased.

"He went out with Hunter and Adam," Andy asked, wincing as she adjusted her makeshift pillow. "I told him I was fine."

"And he believed you?" Emerson raised an eyebrow.

Andy shrugged, "I'm a good actress when I wanna be."

Emerson frowned again. Andy was good at hiding her pain sometimes but she'd obviously been in a bad way all day. She didn't like that Randy hadn't insisted on staying with her. She was about to express her opinion when she realized that Andy had fallen asleep. She sighed, shaking her head. Apparently that was another discussion she'd have to have later.

* * *

><p>Mark sat up, wincing at the pain he felt in his back as he leaned against the headboard. He looked at Lilah sleeping peacefully beside him. She was on her stomach and her hair was all over the place. He smiled, feeling a great sense of pleasure. She was always so buttoned up and put together. He thoroughly enjoyed the way she looked at that moment. He thought she looked most beautiful when she was a little messy. He looked over at the chair beside the bed where he'd haphazardly tossed her underwear after ripping them in his haste to get them off of her. She had snipped at him, telling him that they were La Perla and that she expected replacements ASAP. She was a strange woman. One moment she was prim and proper Georgia princess, the next she was telling him to meet her in a broom closet in five minutes. He couldn't seem to figure her out. And he liked that about her. He was having a damn good time. They stuck to their rules. He looked at the clock and sighed. He needed to be at the airport in 6 hours for a flight back to Texas. He was seeing his doctor for a follow up on his knee. He didn't think it was necessary but: doctors orders. He got out of bed carefully, trying not to wake her as he gathered his things. He was almost out the door when he felt a sharp pain in his back and he cried out in pain.<p>

"Mark?"

Lilah was at his side quickly, wrapped in the bed sheet.

"I'm alright," he winced, leaning his back against the wall.

"You don't look alright," she looked concerned, touching his arm softly. "Come on, come lay down."

"I'll be fine," he insisted.

"Mark you're tough, okay? I get it," she looked annoyed. "Now go lay down for Christ's sake."

He glared at her and she crossed her arms, looking completely unimpressed, "Can you make it over there on your own or do you want help?"

He pushed himself away from the wall and gingerly walked toward the bed, eyeing her the whole way. He did not like being bossed around. He wanted to make sure she knew it.

"I'm really quite scared," she quipped with a straight face. "You just can't see it 'cause I'm so tired."

* * *

><p>Randy laughed as Adam told a story to the rest of the table. He wasn't totally paying attention but everyone else was laughing so it seemed appropriate. Adam seemed to be having a good time flirting with one of Ariel's friends. Hunter was doing his best to keep his wedding ring in full view at all times. Randy leaned back in his chair, finishing off his drink. He heard something scrape against the floor and looked to his left to see Ariel scooting her chair closer to his. She smiled shyly at him, her knee touching his, and then turned her attention back to Adam's story. Randy watched her while her eyes were elsewhere. She was cute, maybe not drop dead gorgeous but not bad looking at all. Normally he wasn't exactly critical if he hadn't been with anyone in a while, especially after a few drinks, but the whole time she'd been sitting beside him he kept finding things about her that bothered him. She was wearing big silver earrings with feathers that would probably smack him in the face if he moved closer to her. She was wearing perfume that smelled like pixie sticks. And her eyes were too blue, like she was wearing bad colored contacts. She was all over him but his thoughts kept drifting to Andy. He thought of her beautiful grayish green eyes. He thought about how confident she was and how she seemed to delight in calling him on his shit. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and opened their text message thread, laughing when he remembered she had changed her name in his phone to A-Sizzle. He quickly typed out his message: <em>I'm gonna be back at the hotel soon. Need me to bring you anything?<em>

Her response came quickly, _A new head that doesn't hurt would be awesome…but it would have to be equally pretty, preferably a redhead. I have a reputation to uphold._

He laughed and he could feel Ariel staring at him again as he typed back, _I'm looking around but I don't see any head that could compare to yours_

_Is that supposed to sound dirty? Either way, I appreciate the compliment._

He texted her back, _you're a perv even when you're sick…I like that._

"Are you texting your wife?" Ariel asked, gazing at him inquisitively.

"Not married," he showed off his bare ring finger, smirking at her lack of subtlety. She bit her bottom lip, smiling at his answer.

"Neither am I," she said. "Would you maybe wanna go talk somewhere a little quieter?"

He looked at her hopeful expression and then back down at his phone, a light blinking to tell him he had another text.

"I would but we're probably gonna head back to the hotel pretty soon. I've gotta get up really early."

"I could come with you," she offered, her hand on his knee.

He looked at her hand and then at his phone again, "That's not a good idea. Sorry. Maybe some other time."

Randy looked over at Hunter who had been watching their exchange. He looked impressed, raising his hands in a golf clap.

Randy rolled his eyes, "You ready to get out of here?"

* * *

><p><em>Wednesday…<em>

Emerson pulled her hair up into a ponytail, walking toward the thermostat. She had been unpacking the last of her and Andy's boxes all morning and it was starting to get stuffy in their condo. She turned on the air conditioning and then walked back upstairs. Their condo was a gorgeous four bedroom in Chicago's Lakeview East neighborhood, more commonly known as Boystown. It was the third place she and Andy looked at and they were ready to sign the papers the moment they set foot in it. They each had their own master suite, Emme's on the first floor and Andy's on the second. They had taken one of the extra bedrooms and the small den next to it, knocked out the adjoining wall, and converted it into a gigantic shared closet and dressing room. Andy's father Roger had built in wall units and shelving for their clothes and shoes. Andy had unpacked almost all of the clothes and Emme had taken it upon herself to arrange the shoes. She was almost done with the last box of winter boots. She reached for the last box and was surprised at how heavy it felt. She frowned, sitting on the floor and pulling off the top of the box. Her eyes widened as she looked down at what was clearly a box of mementos. She distinctly remembered a time when they were first getting to know each other when Andy told her that she was never the type of girl to keep a shoebox full of memories of an ex boyfriend. Emerson didn't recognize a single thing in the box so it obviously wasn't hers. She pulled out a few items, shuffling through them. Ticket stubs from a Modest Mouse concert at The Aragon Ballroom. Tickets to the movie Batman Begins. There were fliers from various local wrestling shows. Underneath the fliers, there was a stack of pictures facing down. Emme picked them up and turned them over. The first one was Andy and Phil on a couch. Andy was sitting up and Phil, looking very different with bleach blonde hair and no facial hair, was lying on his back with his head in her lap. There was another person Emme didn't recognize sitting on the floor in front of the couch. They all seemed to be laughing at something and Andy was looking down at Phil with such adoration that Emme completely understood why whoever took the picture had been compelled to capture it. In the next picture, Andy very different and absolutely adorable. Her hair was platinum blonde and she was wearing bright red lipstick. She had an incredibly excited open mouthed look on her face and she was holding up her hand, showing off a thin silver band. Phil was beside her, looking sheepish, the top of his head resting against her cheek. She continued flipping through shot after shot of Andy and Phil; some with other friends, quite a few with Colt and Tyler. In each and everyone one, Andy and Phil looked head over heels in love with each other. She noticed that a few of the pictures were streaked with tear stains. She leaned back against the wall, frowning. Why would Andy keep all of this if she hated Phil so much? Her phone buzzed in her pocket and Emme pulled it out quickly. She had a text message from Kofi inviting her to a barbecue at Phil's house the next day. Perfect timing. Maybe she could finally get some answers.

* * *

><p>Randy walked into the lobby, unzipping his gym bag and taking out the key to him and Andy's room. They'd both been scheduled to be in LA for the day; she was shooting her guest spot on Suits and he was there for a luncheon the next day for the 'Be A Star' campaign. He was dead tired after a long session at the gym and Andy was out for the rest of the day so he hoped he could get some sleep in before she got back.<p>

"Randy Orton, can you tell me what room he's in? It's an emergency."

Randy frowned, turning toward the front desk when he heard his name.

"I'm sorry ma'am, we have no one checked in under that name," the clerk said.

There was a very tall blonde in sky high stiletto heels standing at the desk in a black and red dress.

"Well I'm sure he's here," the woman insisted, her words slurring the slightest bit.

When Randy heard the voice again he winced. He knew that voice. Erika Marten. They'd dated years earlier for 3 very dramatic months. Erika was a part time bikini model and a full time trouble maker, not to mention a borderline alcoholic. He hadn't seen her over a year.

"Erika," he called, feeling responsible for saving the hotel clerk.

She turned and flashed him a brilliant smile, "Randy, darling! I knew you were here."

She shot the clerk a searing glare before rushing over to him and wrapping him in a tight hug, "I've _missed_ you."

She smelled like perfume and whiskey.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I saw on Twitter that you were in town," she smiled, running a finger down his chest. "You used to like this hotel. I assumed you'd be here."

"That doesn't explain why you're here," Randy said, removing her hand.

She looked confused and laughed, "Randy…what do you think I'm here for?"

She finished her sentence by looking down at his pants.

Randy looked up at the ceiling, wondering why it seemed that he was being tested in the last few days.

"Come on Randy, let's go upstairs," she smiled, taking a step toward him and stumbling, nearly losing her balance. He caught her before she fell and she giggled, "See. I knew you missed me."

Randy sighed. He was going to have to turn her down someplace private. She did not take rejection well.

* * *

><p>"Whatever it is, I didn't do it."<p>

Lilah looked up when she heard Phil's voice. She had sent him a text message requesting he meet her for lunch. He was in LA doing promotional work and she was there with Stephanie for a 'Be a Star' Campaign event. Phil was in his usual t-shirt, black hoodie looking unshaven and tired.

"How are you today Phil?" she smiled at him.

His hazel eyes narrowed in suspicion as he slowly lowered himself into a chair across from her, "Fine. Why?"

"I'm doing well today, thanks so much for asking," she pointedly brightened her smile at him.

"I'm sorry," he put his hands up, pasting on the just about the fakest smile Lilah had ever seen. "How are you today Lilah? What are the lunch specials?"

She raised an eyebrow at him, refusing to acknowledge his childishness. She'd worked with Phil quite a bit in her time as a writer and she knew the best way to deal with him was not to engage.

He chuckled a little, sitting back in his chair. "Why don't you just lay it on me?"

"Lay what on you?"

"Whatever I'm here for," he shrugged. "No one with a job like yours wants to see me for fun so I assume I'm here for some sort of news or reprimand or something."

"You're not being reprimanded," she assured him.

"I better not be. I didn't do anything," he shrugged.

"I wouldn't be the one to reprimand you if you did," she shrugged. "That's not my job."

"Who knows anymore?" Phil laughed. "Vince runs you people ragged."

"Sometimes," she admitted. "But in this instance, I'm just doing my job, no one else's."

"So this is about an angle?" he looked intrigued.

In quite possibly the worst timing ever, Lilah's eyes caught sight of a shock of red hair. She tensed when Andy walked over clad in a baggy black Notorious B.I.G. shirt and denim shorts.

"Hey Liles, sorry I'm late," she said, walking up and giving Lilah a quick hug. "Traffic was a real bitch getting here from the gym. Some accident a few miles away. God damn gapers' delays. I don't have too long, Cass and I start shooting for that show today."

Andy didn't seem to have noticed her ex sitting a few feet away from her. He cleared his throat and she stopped talking, turning in his direction.

"Oh for shit's sake Lilah," Andy turned to glare at her. "I thought we were past this."

"You and me both," Phil rolled his eyes.

"Oh sure, because you had _no idea_ I was gonna be here," Andy shot him an incredulous look.

"Would you mind telling me when the entire world started revolving around you?" he stood up, annoyed. "Because I didn't get that memo."

"It happened around the same time that you became an asshole," she sneered at him.

"Children please," Lilah stood up.

They both shot icy glares her way, making Lilah take a step back.

She took a deep breath, reminding herself to stand her ground. She squared her shoulders, "Neither of you was set up. You're here because I need to talk to you. Both of you. And it has nothing to do with your personal lives. Can we _please_ be professional for a few minutes?"

Andy had the decency to look a little embarrassed, sitting down quietly. Phil sighed dramatically and slumped down in his chair, reminding her of a grade school boy.

"What's this about?" Andy asked.

"Well…I guess the best way to go about this is to rip it off like a band aid," Lilah began. She folded her hands on the table in front of her, leaning on her elbows. "You two are being paired together in an angle. It was my idea. I knew neither of you would like it but I genuinely think it would be great for both of you. I've already gone to Stephanie. She loves it. Vince loves it and we're fully prepared to move ahead with it."

When she finished speaking, she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, bracing herself for the onslaught. When she opened them, Andy's face was frozen in such a perfect state of horror and anger that she looked as if someone had pressed pause on her. Phil looked incredibly amused, as if he was certain she couldn't be serious, "This is a joke, right?"

Lilah shifted uncomfortably in her chair, looking back and forth between the two of them, "No, it's not a joke."

Phil's smile fell slowly and his head tilted to the side as he studied Lilah, "You're _serious_?"

"I am," she said, clearing her throat and trying to sit up as straight as possible. She felt like prey in the wild. She didn't want them to smell her fear.

"Are you gonna say something?" Phil looked over at Andy.

"Lilah," Andy snapped back to reality. "This. Is. Not. Funny."

Lilah sighed deeply, "I am not joking. Now you can choose to have some input or you can let me handle everything. It's up to you."

Phil shook his head, "This is ridiculous. I'm not dealing with this."

Lilah stood as well, "Phil-"

"Talk to your friend," Phil pointed at Andy before walking out.

Lilah sighed again. When she looked back at Andy, she saw a look she'd never seen from her friend before.

"Don't kill me," Lilah put up a hand to keep Andy at a safe distance.

"Why would I _kill_ you when you're already_ dead to me_?" Andy said through clenched teeth.

"Andy-"

"You are one of my best friends. I trust you with my life. You have my career in your hands and you make the decision to put me with _him_?"

"Yes, Andy, I made the decision to put you with one of the hottest guys going right now," Lilah said. "What a terrible friend I am."

"You went behind my back Lilah," Andy pointed. "You knew I wouldn't want to do this and you took it to Stephanie first so she would back you up."

"You're right, I did know you'd have a problem with it. You know what else I know?" Lilah leaned forward on her elbows. "I know that you're a _professional_. You're _ambitious_. And I know that above all else, you will do what is best for business. You have to trust me here. This will work, I know it."

"I really don't have a choice here, do I?" Andy shook her head.

"You have a choice," Lilah corrected. "You can throw a fit and refuse to do this. Or you can remind Vince why he thinks you're the future of women's wrestling and power through this like I know you can."

* * *

><p>Randy paced back and forth outside the bathroom door. Erika had asked if she could take a shower to sober up and he'd allowed it, not knowing what else to do. The water had stopped a few seconds earlier and Randy was anxious to get her out.<p>

"Listen, Erika, it was really nice to see you," he said, leaning against the wall next to the door.

"I know," she responded.

"But you uh..you really should have called first," he explained.

"I knew it wouldn't matter," she giggled. "You're always happy to see me."

"You know, normally I would be but..this time..I'm actually seeing someone. And I really like this girl and this would _not_ look very…"

Randy trailed off when the door opened and Erika walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. Before he could collect himself, the door opened.

* * *

><p>Andy walked into she and Randy's room, pulling off her sunglasses. She desperately needed to vent.<p>

"Randy you will not believe.."

Andy lost her train of thought when she saw Randy and a blonde supermodel type wrapped in a bath towel that barely covered her.

Andy dropped her purse and her keys, planting her hands on her hips, "What the hell is this?"

The blonde turned, looking annoyed, "Who are you?"

"Who am I? Who the fuck are you? And why do you smell like my shampoo?" Andy asked, stepping closer to them.

She looked over at Randy who looked back at her with a bewildered expression as if he didn't know what was happening.

"Andy, this isn't what you think," Randy finally found his voice. "I-"

"Randy shut up," the blonde held up a hand.

"Don't tell him to shut up!" Andy snapped. She glared at Randy, "What the hell is going on?"

"You don't have to explain anything to this girl. It's none of her business," the blonde rolled her eyes.

"Oh really?" Andy moved around to stand in between Randy and the woman. She could feel her face getting hot and her palm was itching to slap this girl. She always tried her best to be composed but sometimes the Chicago Irish in her was quick to get a fight started. "Well you're in my hotel room and I certainly didn't invite your ass in here so I think it is my fucking business."

The blonde opened her mouth but Andy held up a hand to stop her, "You know what? I can find out from Randy later. You, I don't need to see anymore, so why don't you just get the hell out?"

"Is this the girl you were talking about?" the blonde looked down her nose at Andy.

"Do you not understand English?" Andy stared. "I said get out."

"I'll leave when Randy says he wants me to," the blonde crossed her arms over her chest.

"Erika you should go," Andy heard Randy behind her.

"You're gonna choose _this_ over me?" Erika looked mortified.

Andy fumed, looking around for something to focus on to calm her nerves. She spotted the open bathroom door and walked in, picking up the discarded dress, purse, and shoes that were on the floor.

"I have an idea," she smiled, walking out of the room. She pulled the wallet out of the purse, opening it and taking out the 300 dollars cash she found there and shoving it into her pocket. She tossed the wallet back into the purse and pressed the button for the elevator. Fortunately, it arrived quickly. She got in, pressed the button for the lobby, dropped the clothes and purse and then walked out, stomping back toward her room.

"Okay so here's the deal," she walked back in. "Your _shit_ is on it's way downstairs and if you don't want to get your ass kicked, you should really follow suit."

Erika stared, open mouthed, obviously stunned.

"Now please," Andy gestured out the door.

Erika finally got the hint and stormed out toward the elevator.

"You're lucky I don't take my towel back," Andy called out after her before shutting the door. Once it was closed she turned to Randy, "Are you kidding me?"

* * *

><p>Randy stared at Andy, still amazed at what just happened. Andy's eyes were blazing, her cheeks flushed. At that moment, Randy found himself more attracted to her than ever. But before he could address that, he needed to explain himself.<p>

"Nothing happened," he said slowly, holding up his hands.

"Really?" Andy asked. "Then would you mind explaining to me why that amazon with bad Louboutin knockoffs just walked out of here in a bath towel?"

"She's an ex, she showed up downstairs drunk, looking for me," Randy explained. "I brought her up here so she wouldn't make a scene. She used the shower to sober up and then you got here. Did you really put her clothes in the elevator?"

"After I took the cash out of her wallet," Andy shrugged.

"You took her cash?" Randy laughed.

"Hell yeah I did," Andy insisted. "My dad worked as a bouncer back in the day. His motto was, you toss someone, you take a cut for your pain and suffering."

Randy laughed but she was obviously not amused.

"Andy, it wasn't how it looked."

She gave him an incredulous look but he stepped closer to her, hoping she could see how sincere he was, "Andy, I swear..nothing happened. Nothing was gonna happen."

He found himself holding his breath, anxiously waiting for her to say something. He wanted her to believe him. He wanted her to know that he wasn't interested in Erika.

She turned away, taking a deep breath. A laugh escaped her and she covered her mouth, shaking her head, "Do you think she found her clothes?"

They both started laughing until they were out of breath and leaning on each other. She sat on the floor, leaning her back against the wall.

"So…you were pretty mad there, huh?" he smirked, sitting beside her.

"Do not get cocky about this," she pointed, glaring at him. "I am extremely embarrassed right now."

Her cheeks flushed red and she rolled her eyes.

"Don't be," he laughed. "That was pretty awesome. It did great things for my ego."

"It was so not awesome," she put her hands over her face.

"Come here," he laughed, putting an arm over her shoulders and kissing the top of her head.

They settled that way for a few minutes in quiet. Randy kissed her head again, inhaling the smell of her hair. He definitely hadn't pictured this day involving Andy threatening to throw down with his ex. She was full of surprises. And he wanted her to keep surprising him

"So keeping things casual is working really well, isn't it?" he smirked.

She laughed, "Oh yes. That was _very_ easy going of me."

"I liked it," he said. "And I like you. Just you."

She looked up at him and smiled, amused, "Are you trying to tell me something? I feel like you're about to ask me to go steady."

He laughed, "I'm not even sure what going steady means. But I want you to know that I'm not looking for anything else."

She smiled, kissing his lips, "Good. I don't wanna have to rob anymore strangers."

* * *

><p>"<em>Me<em> and _Her_," Phil paced back and forth angrily, holding his phone to her ear. "Can you believe that?"

He'd called Kofi to vent and, annoyingly, thus far he was his typical even keeled self.

"Are you really that surprised?" Kofi asked.

Phil stopped in his tracks, wishing his friend could see him glaring.

"Come on," Kofi rolled his eyes. "The two of you look like you were made for each other. I get it. It makes sense."

Phil shook his head and resumed his pacing. He absently chewed on his thumb nail and soon was so lost in thought he seemed to have forgotten Kofi was on the phone.

Kofi cleared his throat and Phil stopped again, "Do you think she asked Lilah to do this just to fuck with me?"

"Do I think your ex-wife who _hates_ you asked one of her best friends to _force_ her to spend _more_ time with you?" Kofi asked.

Phil glared again at nothing in particular and Kofi laughed, "Seriously, there's worse things in life than having to work closely with a beautiful, talented woman. Do you even know what the angle is?"

"I didn't stay around to find out," Phil answered. "This is ridiculous. There are plenty of guys that need a woman by their side to make them more interesting. I'm not that guy."

"Nobody's saying you are," Kofi reminded him. "Lilah has an idea that's apparently interesting enough to get Vince's attention. In a good way. That's what we all want."

"I don't need Vince's attention," Phil insisted.

He had to admit that to some small extent, Kofi had a point. Everyone wanted an angle that Vince wanted to push through to TV. Phil had been involved in mid card feuds for the last year. His last shot at the world championship was 13 months ago. He deserved better and everyone seemed to know it. But the writers seemed to keep putting him into feuds where it was his job to make the other person look like a star.

"Didn't say you need it," Kofi said. "But I'm sure you want it."

"It doesn't matter," Phil shook his head,

"It does matter," Kofi insisted. "Lilah is a great writer. The McMahon's trust her to handle main event angles. This could be big for you. And maybe you can even convince Andy to stop hating you."

"Oh yeah," Phil rolled his eyes. "I'm sure that's gonna happen."


End file.
